NFIB reported on 13 October that its September Small Business Optimism Index fell 0.8 points to 97.9, slightly below the LongDefinition A long is a market position that benefits when the price of the asset or market rises. Taking this type of position is called going long. What Does Long Mean...Read More-term average of 98.0. Its Uncertainty Index increased one point to 90. Labor quality or availability remained owners’ leading concern, while 20% identified InflationInflation refers to a sustained rise in the general price level that reduces the purchasing power of money. The term belongs in Level 7 because it helps connect macro conditions...Read More as their biggest problem. Only 7% considered it a good time to expand, down five points from August.
U.S. small-business optimism fell 0.8 points to 97.9 in September, slipping just below the long-term average of 98.0, according to the NFIB. Rising uncertainty, higher costs, interest rates and difficulties finding qualified workers weighed on confidence, while business owners also reported weaker sales and reduced expansion plans.