NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index decreased 0.1 point in November to 90.6, which marks the 23rd consecutive month below the 50-year average of 98. Twenty-two percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in...
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December 14, 2023, 07:00 AM
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NFIB is celebrating 50 years of the Small Business Economic Trends survey, but small business owners are not feeling optimistic in the current economic environment. The Optimism Index decreased 0.1 points in October to 90.7, marking the 22nd month...
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November 20, 2023, 07:05 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index decreased half of a point in September to 90.8. September’s reading marks the 21st consecutive month below the 49-year average of 98. Twenty-three percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most...
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October 16, 2023, 07:05 AM
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NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index decreased 0.6 of a point in August to 91.3, the 20th consecutive month below the 49-year average of 98. Twenty-three percent of small business owners reported that inflation was their single most important...
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September 15, 2023, 07:00 AM
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Forty-two percent of small business owners (seasonally adjusted) reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. The percent of small business owners reporting labor quality as their top small...
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August 14, 2023, 07:00 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased 0.9 of a point in July to 91.9, marking the 19th consecutive month below the 49-year average of 98. Twenty-one percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in...
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August 10, 2023, 07:10 AM
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NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index increased 1.6 points in June to 91.0, however, it is the 18th consecutive month below the 49-year average of 98. Inflation and labor quality are tied as the top small business concerns with 24 percent of owners...
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July 24, 2023, 07:00 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased 0.4 points in May to 89.4, which is the 17th consecutive month below the 49-year average of 98. The last time the Index was at or above the average was in December 2021. Small business owners expecting...
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June 21, 2023, 07:00 AM
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According to NFIB’s monthly jobs report, 44 percent (seasonally adjusted) of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, down one point from April but still 20 points higher than the 49-year average reading. The...
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June 08, 2023, 07:05 AM
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NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index decreased by 1.1 points in April to 89.0. This marks the 16th consecutive month below the survey’s 49-year history of 98. Labor quality was the top business problem at 24 percent, with inflation in second place by...
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May 12, 2023, 07:00 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased 0.6 points in February to 90.9 but remains below the 49-year average of 98. Twenty-eight percent of owners reported inflation as their single most important business problem, up two points from last...
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March 24, 2023, 07:09 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased 0.5 points in January to 90.3, remaining below the 49-year average of 98. Down six points from last month, 26 percent of owners reported inflation was their single most important problem in operating...
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March 01, 2023, 07:07 AM
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According to NFIB’s monthly jobs report, 57 percent of owners reported hiring or trying to hire in January, up two points. Of those hiring or trying to hire, 91 percent of owners reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were...
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February 15, 2023, 07:00 AM
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Inflation remains the top business problem for small business owners, with 32 percent of owners reporting it as their single most important problem in operating their business, five points lower than July’s highest reading since the fourth quarter of...
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December 28, 2022, 07:07 AM
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NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index declined 0.8 points in October to 91.3, which is the 10th consecutive month below the 49-year average of 98. Thirty-three percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in...
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November 10, 2022, 07:10 AM
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NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index rose 0.3 points in September to 92.1, making the ninth consecutive month below the 48-year average of 98. Thirty percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in operating their...
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October 17, 2022, 07:15 AM
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Small businesses across the country continue to raise wages to keep employees and fill a historically high level of open positions, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. Seasonally adjusted, 49 percent of all owners reported job openings they...
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August 08, 2022, 07:00 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index dropped 3.6 points in June to 89.5, marking the sixth consecutive month below the 48-year average of 98. Small business owners expecting better business conditions over the next six months decreased seven points...
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July 15, 2022, 07:07 AM
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NFIB’s monthly jobs report shows half of small business owners (seasonally adjusted) reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, down one point from May’s 48-year record high. Twenty-three percent of owners said that labor...
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July 12, 2022, 07:00 AM
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The NFIB Optimism Index fell 0.1 points in May to 93.1, marking the fifth consecutive month below the 48-year average of 98. Owners expecting better business conditions over the next six months decreased four points to a net negative 54 percent, the...
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June 20, 2022, 07:10 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index was unchanged in April, remaining at 93.2 and the fourth consecutive month below the 48-year average of 98. Small business owners expecting better business conditions over the next six months decreased one point...
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May 12, 2022, 07:00 AM
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Small business owners continue to attempt to fill historically high levels of open positions, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. Twenty-three percent of owners said that labor quality was their top business problem, up one point from last month...
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May 06, 2022, 07:00 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index decreased in March by 2.4 points to 93.2, the third consecutive month below the 48-year average of 98. Thirty-one percent of owners reported that inflation was the single most important problem in their business...
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April 15, 2022, 07:00 AM
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The labor shortage continues to be a major challenge for small businesses as owners compete for workers, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. Twenty-two percent of owners reported that labor quality was their top business problem, in second place...
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April 11, 2022, 07:00 AM
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In February, the NFIB Optimism Index decreased by 1.4 points to 95.7, the second consecutive month below the 48-year average of 98. Twenty-six percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in operating their...
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March 10, 2022, 07:03 AM
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Small businesses continued to struggle to increase their workforce in February, with 22 percent of owners reporting that labor quality was their top business problem, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. Eleven percent of owners cited labor costs...
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March 07, 2022, 07:05 AM
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A historic number of small businesses are struggling to increase their workforce, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. A net 50 percent (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported raising compensation, up two points from December and...
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February 10, 2022, 07:03 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index decreased slightly in January to 97.1, down 1.8 points from December. Inflation remains a problem for small businesses as 22 percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important business...
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February 08, 2022, 07:10 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased slightly in December to 98.9, up 0.5 points from November. Twenty-two percent of small business owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem encountered in operating their...
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January 31, 2022, 07:05 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased slightly in November by 0.2 points to 98.4. Four of the 10 Index components improved, four declined, and two were unchanged. The NFIB Uncertainty Index decreased four points to 63.“As the end of the...
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December 29, 2021, 07:05 AM
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Small business owners continue to struggle to increase their workforce with 29 percent of owners reporting labor quality as their top business problem in November, a 48-year record high. Ten percent of owners cited labor costs as their top problem...
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December 07, 2021, 07:00 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index decreased slightly in October by 0.9 points to 98.2. One of the 10 Index components improved, seven declined and two were unchanged.“Small business owners are attempting to take advantage of current economic...
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November 11, 2021, 07:03 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index decreased one point in September to 99.1. Three of the 10 Index components improved, five declined and two were unchanged.“Small business owners are doing their best to meet the needs of customers, but are...
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October 15, 2021, 07:13 AM
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Fifty-one percent (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, up one point from August and a record-high reading for the second consecutive month, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs...
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October 11, 2021, 07:04 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased in August to 100.1, up 0.4 points from July. Five of the 10 Index components improved, four declined, and one was unchanged. The NFIB Uncertainty Index decreased seven points to 69, the lowest level...
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September 16, 2021, 07:12 AM
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Fifty percent of all small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, a record high reading according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. The number of unfilled job openings has remained far above the 48-year...
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September 13, 2021, 07:00 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index decreased in July to 99.7, a decrease of 2.8 points, reversing June’s 2.9-point gain. Six of the 10 components declined, three improved and one was unchanged. The NFIB Uncertainty Index decreased seven points to...
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August 13, 2021, 07:07 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased 2.9 points in June to 102.5, the first time the Index exceeded 100 since November 2020. Seven of the 10 Index components improved and three declined. The NFIB Uncertainty Index increased four points to...
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July 16, 2021, 07:11 AM
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According to NFIB’s monthly jobs report, 46 percent of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, down two points from May but still above the 48-year historical average of 22 percent. Small business owners...
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July 09, 2021, 07:00 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell 0.2 points in May to 99.6. May saw a slight pause in the recovery of small business optimism after steadily increasing each month in 2021. As reported in NFIB’s monthly jobs report, a record-high 48 percent...
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June 14, 2021, 07:15 AM
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A record-high 48 percent of small business owners in May reported unfilled job openings (seasonally adjusted), according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. May is the fourth consecutive month of record-high readings for unfilled job openings and is 26...
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June 08, 2021, 07:15 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose to 99.8 in April, an increase of 1.6 points from March. The Optimism Index has increased 4.8 points over the past three months since January, but a record 44 percent of owners reported job openings that...
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May 12, 2021, 07:18 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 2.4 points in March to 98.2. March’s reading is the first return to the average historical reading since last November. The NFIB Uncertainty Index increased six points to 81, which was primarily driven by...
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April 19, 2021, 07:12 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose to 95.8 in February, a slight bump from January but still below the 47-year average reading of 98. The NFIB Uncertainty Index decreased five points to 75.“Small business owners worked hard in February to...
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March 12, 2021, 07:15 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index declined in January to 95.0, down 0.9 from December and three points below the 47-year average of 98. Owners expecting better business conditions over the next six months declined seven points to a net negative...
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February 17, 2021, 07:15 AM
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The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index declined 2.6 points in November to 101.4 but remains well above the 47-year historical average reading of 98. Six of the 10 Index components declined and four increased. The NFIB Uncertainty Index decreased 8...
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December 23, 2020, 07:00 AM
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The NFIB Optimism Index remained at 104.0 in October, unchanged from September and a historically high reading. Four of the 10 components improved, five declined and one was unchanged. Although all of the data was collected prior to Election Day, a...
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November 18, 2020, 07:15 AM
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The NFIB Optimism Index rose 3.8 points to 104.0 in September, a historically high reading. Nine of the 10 Index components improved and one declined. The NFIB Uncertainty Index increased 2 points to 92, up from 75 in April.“As parts of the country...
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October 20, 2020, 07:22 AM
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The small business labor market continues to make improvements in September despite continued state and federal employment regulations related to COVID-19. According to NFIB’s monthly jobs report, 10 percent of owners reported increasing employment...
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October 05, 2020, 07:20 AM
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The NFIB Optimism Index increased 1.4 points in August to 100.2, a reading slightly above the historical 46-year average. Seven of the 10 Index components improved, two declined and one was unchanged. The NFIB Uncertainty Index increased two points...
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September 15, 2020, 07:15 AM
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NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index fell 1.8 points to 98.8 in July, near the survey’s historical average. Overall, 4 of the 10 Index components improved, 5 declined, and 1 was unchanged. The NFIB Uncertainty Index increased 7 points to 88. Reports...
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August 11, 2020, 07:14 AM
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According to NFIB’s monthly jobs report, over half (51 percent) of small business owners reported hiring or trying to hire in July. Forty-four percent (86 percent of those hiring or trying to hire) reported few or no qualified applicants for the...
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August 07, 2020, 07:15 AM
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The Small Business Optimism Index increased 6.2 points in June to 100.6 with eight of the 10 components improving and two declining. Owners anticipate improving sales as the economy continues to re-open with sales expectations rebounding to a net 13...
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July 20, 2020, 07:20 AM
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The NFIB Research Center released its monthly jobs report, showing the small business labor market has further weakened in June. Firms reduced employment by 0.28 workers per firm over the past month, weaker than the decrease of 0.17 workers per firm...
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July 07, 2020, 07:00 AM
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The Small Business Optimism Index increased 3.5 points in May to 94.4, a strong improvement from April’s 90.9 reading. Eight of the 10 Index components improved in May and two declined. The NFIB Uncertainty Index increased seven points to 82. Reports...
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June 12, 2020, 07:00 AM
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As trade continues to be a focus in the current policy debate, 37 percent of small business owners are reporting negative impacts of recent trade policy changes with Mexico, Canada, or China. The newly released data comes from the NFIB Research...
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March 01, 2019, 07:30 AM
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