In February, the NFIB Optimism Index decreased by 1.4 points to 95.7, the second consecutive month below the 48-year average of 98. Twenty-six percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in operating their business, a four-point increase since December and the highest reading since the third quarter of 1981. “Inflation … [More]

Small businesses continued to struggle to increase their workforce in February, with 22% of owners reporting that labor quality was their top business problem, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. Eleven percent of owners cited labor costs as their top business problem, unchanged from January. Reports of labor costs as the top business problem are at 48-year record high … [More]

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 678,000 in February, and the unemployment rate edged down to 3.8 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job growth was widespread, led by gains in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, health care, and construction. This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The … [More]

In the week ending February 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 215,000, a decrease of 18,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 232,000 to 233,000. The 4-week moving average was 230,500, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised … [More]

New data suggests Spring homebuying fever has already set in, as the U.S. median listing price hit a new all-time high of $392,000 in February, according to the Realtor.com® Monthly Housing Trends Report released today. Additionally, home prices grew at an unusually-fast February pace in many of the 50 largest metros, led by Las Vegas, Miami and Tampa, Fla. with annual … [More]

Raw material shortages, congested ports, a scarcity of truck drivers and other factors have contributed to major disruptions in the global supply chain. Originally triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, these ongoing supply chain bottlenecks continue to negatively impact the economy and create ongoing complications for businesses. Within this challenging environment, business … [More]