US Small-Business Optimism Little Changed Ahead of Election
- NFIB index restrained by pullback in capital spending plans
- Uncertainty index reaches highest level ever recorded
This article is for subscribers only.
US small-business optimism was little changed in September as firms dialed back capital spending plans, illustrating historically high uncertainty ahead of the US presidential election.
The National Federation of Independent Business optimism index edged up 0.3 point to 91.5 after declining in August by the most in more than two years. The group’s uncertainty index rose 11 points to a record high as small-business owners await the outcome of the November election.