American small-business owners are pessimistic about future economic conditions as inflation weighs down on their operations, according to the latest survey by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
The proportion of owners expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months fell two points, to a net negative 44 percent, an Oct. 11 NFIB press release states. Though the Small Business Optimism Index rose by 0.3 points, to 92.1, in September, it remained below the 48-year average for the ninth consecutive month. The net percent of owners who are expecting real sales to be higher rose nine points from August, to a net negative 10 percent….