The share of US chief executive officers planning to add employees or expand investment during the next six months declined in the third quarter. And according to a Business Roundtable survey, an even larger number said they planned to cut jobs and spending. It's not hard to divine what is spooking companies. Despite gains in consumer sentiment, revenue continues to be weak. Sales for businesses in the S&P 500 fell a projected 0.9% in the third quarter from a year earlier. Without revenue growth, earnings are under pressure. Some big companies have decided to accelerate or expand payroll cuts they'd previously announced. This corporate pessimism poses a hurdle for household spending, which accounts for about 70% of US gross domestic product. Consumers are workers, after all, and if they can't get hired or fear getting laid off, they will limit their purchases.