The end of 2013 finished on a very high note for the LXCI, with a record high score of 69.9, a two percentage point increase from Q3 2013 (from 67.9). With most years, learning executives express high confidence at the start of the year, which usually waxes and wanes throughout the year, and end the year with decreased confidence. This year demonstrated a new pattern; the year started off with the highest confidence evidenced since 2009, decreased in Q2 2013, and has been climbing ever since.

Confidence for all indices remain quite high, and some are the highest seen since 2010. With the exception of when learning executives feel that L&D expenditures may improve, 2013 averages regarding improvements in L&D outcomes were higher than 2012.

Learning executives are quite optimistic regarding the impact of L&D through the first half of 2014. Regardless of when L&D expenditures do improve, LXs feel very confident that they can work with current resources (including funding and staffing) to provide sufficient L&D in their organizations.

Key Findings

• Learning executives’ expectations from Q3 to Q4 2013 increased, and learning leaders remain highly optimistic. The Q4 2013 LXCI score of 69.9 is the highest scored reported to date (since 2009).

• Overall confidence for all indices increased. Per yearly trends, scores tend be higher during Q1and fluctuate throughout the year; but this quarter, scores were higher than average. Overall, all indices this quarter are higher than they normally tend be during Q3; average scores for 2013 were also higher than in 2012.

• The impact of corporate performance and the perception of the value of learning continue to be the most positive LXCI indicators, with 74.3 and 73.7 percent (respectively) believing that it will be moderately or substantially better in the next six months; these two indicators have also reached all-time record high scores. 

Download the Q4 2013 LXCI Report