US small-business optimism tumbles to 7-month low as COVID-19 restrictions curb activity
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A popular gauge of small-business confidence in the US sank to a seven-month low in December as stricter lockdown measures and climbing daily case counts cut into economic activity.
The National Federation of Independent Businesses' index of small-business optimism fell 5.5 points last month to 95.9, according to a Tuesday release. The reading lands below the average index value since 1978 of 98 and marks the lowest level since May. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected the gauge to dip slightly to 100.2.
Nine out of the optimism index's 10 components declined, with only the NFIB's gauge of current inventory ticking higher to close out the year.The backdrop for such businesses is set to improve in the near-term. Fiscal stimulus passed at the end of last month revives the Paycheck Protection Program, and direct payments included in the measure could lift spending at small businesses. Vaccine distribution and a more efficient reopening also serve to boost overall activity.
Still, the Tuesday report's details "make for grim reading," Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said. NFIB members were largely hopeful when President Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016, and his loss now seems to be weighing on the optimism index. Declines across other gauges of hiring, spending, and growth suggest the pandemic recession will likely get worse before stimulus and vaccination drives a full recovery, the economist added. "This is not just the impact of his defeat in November; it's more likely to be a COVID hit," Shepherdson said. "The servicesCopyright © 2021. Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.For reprint rights. Times Syndication Service.
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