Small Businesses Are Still Pessimistic In September 2012

According to the NFIB’s small business survey for the month of September small businesses are continuing to be pessimistic about the economy.   The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index declined 0.1 points and fell to 92.8.

September’s report is based on the responses of 691 randomly sampled small businesses in NFIB’s membership, surveyed throughout the month of September.

The recession-level reading was pulled down by a deterioration in labor market indicators, with job creation plans plunging 6 points, job openings falling one point and more firms reporting decreases in employment than those reporting increases in employment.

The percent of owners planning capital outlays in the next three to six months fell 3 points to 21 percent, while the number of owners who characterized the current period as a good time to expand facilities went up 3 points (seasonally adjusted) to seven percent.

The net percent of owners expecting better business conditions in six months rose 4 points to two percent after posting a 6 point improvement last month.  This is still a pessimistic collective view.

The net percent of all owners (seasonally adjusted) reporting higher nominal sales over the past three months was unchanged at a negative 13 percent.  Twenty-one (21) percent still cite weak sales as their top business problem—historically high, but down from the record 34 percent reached in March 2010.

Sources:
 NFIB

By Jack River