The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased 1.4 points in September to 104.0, a historical high. Some owners have reported improvements in foot traffic and sales, while others are struggling financially to operate at full capacity while navigating state and local regulations and are uncertain about what will happen in the future.
A seasonally adjusted net 23.0% of owners plan to create new jobs, up 2 points. The percent of owners thinking it’s a good time to expand increased 1 point to 13.0%. Thirty-six percent of respondents reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, up 3 points from August’s number.
A net negative 6.0% of all owners reported higher nominal sales in the past three months, up 9 points from August. The net percent of owners expecting higher real sales volumes increased 5 points to a net 8.0% of owners.
Two percent of owners reported in that their borrowing needs were not fully satisfied. Thirty-three percent reported all credit needs met (up 2 points) and 55.0% said they were not interested in a loan (up 2 points). A net 2.0% reported their last loan was harder to get than in previous attempts (up 1 point).
Read the NFIB report.
