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September 18, 2023
?Optimism among small business owners declined in August
Price Increases Continue as Inflation Remains a Top Problem, Report Shows
- Small business owners expecting better business conditions over the next six months deteriorated seven points from July to a net negative 37%; however, while still at recession levels, the reading is 24 percentage points better than that of last June, which was a net negative 61%.
- Forty percent of owners reported job openings that were hard to fill, down two points from July but remain historically high.
- The net percentage of owners who expect real sales to be higher decreased two points from July to a net negative 14%.
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