Omicron Hits U.S. Small Firms, With One-Third Posting Sales Drop

The surge of omicron cases is having a direct hit on U.S. small businesses, which employ almost half of the country’s private-sector workforce.

The share of small firms that reported a decrease in revenue rose to 33% in the week ended Jan. 9, according the U.S. Census Small Business Pulse Survey. That’s the highest since February last year.