NFIB Small Business Optimism at Eight Month Low

Washington, DC, April 14, 2010--The NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism fell to 86.8, an eight-month low. The index has been below 90 for a total of 18 months.

NFIB chief economist Bill Dunkelberg said that the reading is "very low and headed in the wrong direction." He added, "Something isn't sitting well with small business owners. Poor sales and uncertainty continue to overwhelm any other good news about the economy."

Small business owners also indicated few plans for new jobs and a reluctance to commit capital spending, though Dunkelberg said their reasons for being so pessimistic were unclear given recent good news about the economy and growth of the country's gross domestic product.