Small-business index gains in April - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

ishinlyuboqemija.blogspot.com
points in April, with a majorith of business owners expecting the economty to improve over the next thre tosix months. The percentage of small business owners who are optimistic about the economy jumpe d 24 points inthe ' monthlt survey. Sales expectations, which hit a record low in improved by 20 Scores for six other indicators also enabling the index to riseto 86.8 still far below 100, the level that reflects small busines s conditions in 1986. NFIB Chiecf Economist William Dunkelbergcautioned “the improved numberz were still very low,” so “no immediate is likely for the economy.
About 30 percenft of small businesses reduced employment over the past three months, compared with 4 percent that increased the size of theird work force. “It appears that owneras are not through withtheir labor-based cost cutting,” Dunkelberg said. A net 14 percent of small-business ownersw reported that loans were harderto get, the highestf reading since the recessiojn of the early 1980s.