High cost pressures forcing businesses to delay hiring new staff, Dun & Bradstreet's survey shows INCREASED operational costs have forced many Australian businesses to delay employing new staff, a survey shows. Dun & Bradstreet's latest National Business Expectations Survey, released this morning, paints a bleak outlook. D&B's jobs growth index is continuing on a downward trend through the June 2013 quarter, the company says, dropping below its 10-year average level to a score of zero. Moreover, its research shows no jobs have been added since the March 2012 quarter, as 44 per cent of firms blame business operational costs for impeding growth. D&B's director of corporate affairs Danielle Woods said Australian companies were looking to control costs. " (While businesses keep) a careful eye on their expenses, the significant cost of hiring new staff appears to be dampening expectations for jobs growth," she said. Businesses nationwide also expect the high Australian dollar and cash flow difficulties to influence growth. "With these conditions prevailing, it's unsurprising to see the outlook for both employment and investment falling away," Ms Woods said. The survey also reveals: INVESTMENT expectations for the June 2013 quarter dropped to an index of five, compared with 14 in the March quarter. SALES conditions are not expected to improve, and the sales index has dropped to two points for the June 2013 quarter well below its 10-year average of 29 points. UTILITIES and operational costs are expected to be the biggest barrier to growth in the 2013-14 financial year, according to 44 per cent of those surveyed. Ms Woods added: "Until there's sustained improvement in confidence and trading conditions, we can expect businesses to keep a tight check on expenses and continue to delay larger investments, such as new jobs."