Sentiment among U.S. small businesses edged higher in August, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) reported on Tuesday, Sept. 9, with owners expecting higher sales while harboring concerns about the quality of available labor.
The NFIB's Small Business Optimism Index rose 0.5 points to 100.8, the highest level since January, and just below the 101 that economists expected. The survey's uncertainty index dropped four points to 93, but stayed well above the historical average.
A net 12% of owners expect higher retail sales volumes in the next three months, up six points and contributing the most to the increase in the overall optimism index.
The NFIB said 32% of owners reported job openings they could not fill in August, noting that the last time unfilled job openings fell below 32% was in July 2020. Read more.