The Long Island business community?s confidence in the economy is dropping, according to a survey conducted by the Hauppauge Industrial Association.

Out of 6,000 businesses surveyed, 77 percent think the recession will last longer than 12 months and 43 percent project their 2008 net income will be lower than the year before. The report also found that 23 percent of those businesses plan to cut personnel.

"This will be a year of not necessarily cutting back, but not building out and not taking a look at exorbitant type of employee salaries or bonuses,? says HIA President Terri Alessi-Miceli.

Nolan Meredith, owner of the Commack-based printing company Spectragraphic, says he knows a recession when he sees one. He has been in business for 30 years and says the current recession will be worse than others he?s seen since entering the industry.

Meredith says the last thing he wants to do is to lay off any of his 30 employees, but he can?t completely rule it out.

?The social cost that our government is going to be paying now is enormous,? Meredith says. ?So if every company on Long Island [does its] part to keep everybody here, [it] is the best way to go."

Nolan says he thinks the economy will see an uplift this spring rather than in a year.