Optimism among small-business owners edged down in October as firms faced inventory shortages and hiring difficulties forcing them to raise compensation at a historically high rate, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). The NFIB’s small-business optimism index fell by 0.9 of a percentage point to 98.2 in October, according to the group’s Nov.9 Small…

Overall optimism among small-business owners edged down in September while the level of confidence in the six-months-ahead outlook for business conditions fell to a nine-year low as inflation and hiring difficulties took a bite out of sentiment, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). The NFIB’s so-called optimism index fell by one percentage point…