- March 28, 2024
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A poll taken in late March of businesses nationwide, from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and MetLife, paints yet another bleak picture of the future economy.
To wit: One in four small business respondents, 24%, say they are two months or less from closing permanently amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. One in 10, 11%, are less than one month away from permanently going out of business, the report shows.
One-fourth of the respondents, to the poll taken March 25-28, have already shut down temporarily, adds the report. Among those that have not shuttered, 40% say they are likely to close at least temporarily within the next two weeks. This means a total of 54% of all small businesses in the survey report having closed or expecting to close temporarily by April 17.
“This is an extraordinarily difficult time for small business owners across the country,” says Christel Slaughter, CEO of SSA Consultants and U.S. Chamber Small Business Council Chairwoman in the statement. “Many are facing significant disruptions and as the data show many are on the brink of closure.