Small-business index gains in April - Business First of Columbus:

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points in April, with a majoritty of business owners expecting the economy to improvse over the next three to six The percentage of small business ownera who are optimistic about the economh jumped 24 points inthe ' monthly survey. Sales which hit a recorf low in March, improved by 20 points. Scores for six other indicatorsalso increased, enabling the indesx to rise to 86.8 still far below 100, the levepl that reflects small business conditions in 1986.
NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelbergcautioned “the improved numbers were still very so “no immediate turnabout” is likely for the About 30 percent of small businesses reduced employmentf over the past three months, compared with 4 percenrt that increased the size of their work “It appears that owners are not throughu with their labor-based cost cutting,” Dunkelberyg said. A net 14 percent of small-business owner reported that loans were harderto get, the highest readiny since the recession of the early 1980s.