National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Optimism Index inches up in October as more owners expect better sales and say it’s a good time to expand
More small business owners last month said they expect higher sales and think that now is a good time to expand, according to the October NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism, released today.
“Owners became much more positive about the economic environment last month, which suggests a longer-run view,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “In the nearer term, they are more optimistic about real sales growth and improved business conditions through the end of the year.”
The October Index rose to 103.8, up from 103 the previous month. The historically strong performance extends the streak of positive months dating back to last November, when it shot up immediately following the election.
Four of the Index components rose last month. Five declined slightly, while one remained unchanged. Outlook for expansion and sales expectations each jumped six points, while job openings increased by five points.
The tight labor market got tighter for small business owners last month, continuing a year-long trend. Fifty-nine percent of owners said they tried to hire in October, with 88 percent of them reporting no or few qualified applicants. Hiring activity was particularly high in Florida and Georgia, as construction firms are still trying to meet higher demand caused by the recent hurricane.
“Consumer sentiment surged based on optimism about jobs and incomes, an encouraging development as consumers account for 70 percent of GDP,” said Dunkelberg. “We expect a pickup in auto spending as people in Texas and Florida continue to replace cars that were damaged in the hurricanes. We expect the same increase in home improvement spending, partly because of the hurricanes, but also because of the skyrocketing price of homes.”
Click here to view the entire NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism. For more information about NFIB, please visit www.nfib.com.
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