Small business confidence slips to 97.9 in September
Owners' gloom deepened as the NFIB optimism gauge dropped 0.8 points, landing just under its long-term average and below forecasts.
By Standard Topic. AI-generated from the reporting listed under Coverage. Published . Updated .
This story is no longer being updated. It reflects reporting up to .
What happened
The National Federation of Independent Business reported that its small business optimism index fell 0.8 points in September to 97.9, dipping just below its long-term average. The measure of uncertainty rose to 90, staying well above historic levels. Fewer owners expected conditions to improve, and the reading came in weaker than the expected 98.0.
Why it matters
The drop marks a three-month low in small business sentiment, with price pressures still weighing on owners.
Timeline
- Oct 13, 7:03 AM ET: Reports emerged that US small business optimism had fallen on a dimmer economic outlook.
- Oct 13, 2:29 PM ET: The share of owners expecting conditions to improve fell 4 percentage points to a four-month low of 6%.
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