The latest results exhibit a decline in the share of small business owners who expected better business conditions over the past six months. This is the 12th consecutive month that the Small Business Optimism Index has remained below its 49-year average of 98.

According to 32% of owners that were surveyed, inflation remains a significant concern that they face. 43% of owners reported that a rise in average selling prices has hampered their confidence.

Government inflation data set to be released on Thursday is expected to show largely unchanged consumer prices, with the annual increase in inflation expected to be the smallest since October 2021.

William Dunkelberg, NFIB chief economist, commented that small business owners are largely expecting conditions to deteriorate further. “Owners are managing several economic uncertainties and persistent inflation and they continue to make business and operational changes to compensate,” Dunkelberg observed.

The post U.S. Confidence in Small Businesses Falls to Six-Month Low appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Back in quarter one, employment costs had risen 1.4%, giving workers optimism about their financial situation. However, given the news over a potential impending recession, hopes weren’t necessarily high that the rate would continue.

These worries were squashed we the Labor Department announced on Friday that the quarter two numbers showed yet another bump in employment cost: 1.3% this time around. This is slightly higher than was projected by the Wall Street Journal, which had projected the number to be 1.1%.

1.3% still isn’t necessarily a crazy bump, but it’s a very encouraging number when taken into context of where the U.S. economy has been lately.

An even more encouraging thought is the 1.6% wage bump that took place in the second quarter, which is higher than the 1.3% bump that took place in the first quarter. When you take in to comparison the year-over-year statistics, wages have actually gone up an impressive 5.7% rate.

This might not seem like a crazy amount in a vacuum. But if you ask many finance experts, they would say that we’re heading towards a recession, so virtually any wage bump is truly a reason to celebrate if you’re an employee.

The post U.S. Employment Costs Continue to Rise in Q2 appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

The latest results exhibit a decline in the share of small business owners who expected better business conditions over the past six months. This is the 12th consecutive month that the Small Business Optimism Index has remained below its 49-year average of 98.

According to 32% of owners that were surveyed, inflation remains a significant concern that they face. 43% of owners reported that a rise in average selling prices has hampered their confidence.

Government inflation data set to be released on Thursday is expected to show largely unchanged consumer prices, with the annual increase in inflation expected to be the smallest since October 2021.

William Dunkelberg, NFIB chief economist, commented that small business owners are largely expecting conditions to deteriorate further. “Owners are managing several economic uncertainties and persistent inflation and they continue to make business and operational changes to compensate,” Dunkelberg observed.

The post U.S. Confidence in Small Businesses Falls to Six-Month Low appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Back in quarter one, employment costs had risen 1.4%, giving workers optimism about their financial situation. However, given the news over a potential impending recession, hopes weren’t necessarily high that the rate would continue.

These worries were squashed we the Labor Department announced on Friday that the quarter two numbers showed yet another bump in employment cost: 1.3% this time around. This is slightly higher than was projected by the Wall Street Journal, which had projected the number to be 1.1%.

1.3% still isn’t necessarily a crazy bump, but it’s a very encouraging number when taken into context of where the U.S. economy has been lately.

An even more encouraging thought is the 1.6% wage bump that took place in the second quarter, which is higher than the 1.3% bump that took place in the first quarter. When you take in to comparison the year-over-year statistics, wages have actually gone up an impressive 5.7% rate.

This might not seem like a crazy amount in a vacuum. But if you ask many finance experts, they would say that we’re heading towards a recession, so virtually any wage bump is truly a reason to celebrate if you’re an employee.

The post U.S. Employment Costs Continue to Rise in Q2 appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.