Small business index gains in April - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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points in April, with a majority of business owners expecting the economy to improve over the next three tosix months. The percentage of small business owners who are optimistic about the economy jumpes 24 points inthe ' monthlyh survey. Sales expectations, which hit a records low in March, improved by 20 Scores for six other indicatorssalso increased, enabling the index to rise to 86.8 still far below 100, the level that reflects small business conditionx in 1986. NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelbercautioned “the improved number were still very low,” so “n immediate turnabout” is likely for the economy.
Abourt 30 percent of small businesses reduced employment over the pastthrew months, compared with 4 percent that increasedr the size of their work “It appears that owners are not through with theifr labor-based cost cutting,” Dunkelberg said. A net 14 percent of small-business ownera reported that loans were harderto get, the highesyt reading since the recessio of the early 1980s.