Dan O'Brien, the deputy director of multimedia for the MetroWest Daily News, is joined by Paul Matthews and Michael Harrison, chair of the Marketing Department in the College of Business at FSU.

Matthews, the executive director of the 495/MetroWest Partnership - a Westborough-based public-private association that advocates for economic development, transportation and a skilled workforce in the region - said the survey was formed about five years ago with an initial goal of gauging employers’ confidence in the region’s business climate.

Matthews and Harrison said that for the most part, the survey steers clear of current events and politics, instead focusing on employer-specific issues.