Survey: Small business owners remain worried about economy

While fears of inflation and difficulty finding employees are still a major concern, a new survey finds that owners do see signs of improvement.

By Louis Llovio
| 5:00 a.m. July 22, 2023
| 0 Free Articles Remaining!

Florida

The country’s small business owners are cautiously optimistic about the state of the economy.

According to a June survey by the National Federation of Independent Business, the Small Business Optimism Index ticked up 1.6 points to 91. While a cause for, well, optimism, the index remains a long way from 98, the average for the past 49 years. (June was the 18th consecutive month it failed to reach that level.)

What the survey found is that businesspeople are still concerned about larger economic forces and that’s affecting how they operate. The survey found that inflation and labor quality remain the single most pressing issues for 24% of owners.