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sma l l -bus i ness ma r ke t
Feeling
e Pinch
e National Federation of
Independent Businesses (NFIB)
monitors the outlook of small
businesses in the U.S., and its most
recent report—from June 2016—found
that the Index of Small Business
Optimism rose seven-tenths of a
point, to 94.5. e last time the index
rose above the baseline of 100 was
December 2014.
e negligible increase, according
to the NFIB, reveals high uncertainty
and low expectations for better
business conditions and investment
opportunities. More than 50 percent
of reporting businesses said they
were trying to hire or were hiring
sta , but 48 percent reported being
unable to nd quali ed applicants
for open positions. Additionally,
in ation in the U.S. prompted 12
percent of small-business owners
to reduce average selling prices
over the past three months.
Jen Alexander is associate editor for PPB.
99.7%
of U.S. businesses
are classi ed as
small businesses
97.7%
of exporting
businesses in
2013 were
SMALL FIRMS
In 2013,
SMALL FIRMS
generated
33.6%
of
U.S. total known
export value
In 2013
1.1 million
net jobs
were created by
small businesses
Firms with
FEWER THAN
100 EMPLOYEES
employ the largest
share of workers
56.8 million
U.S. employees work
for small businesses
Firms of
250-499
employees
reported the
greatest gains
Between 2007 and 2012, the number of...
Hispanic-owned
businesses grew
Hawaiian/Paci c
Islander-owned
businesses grew
African American-owned
businesses grew
Small Businesses Are
A
BIG
Part Of The U.S. Economy
In 2014,
11%
of self-employed
respondents identi ed
themselves as veterans
7.1%
as
minorities
11.5%
as
male
7.2%
as
female
44
|
SEPTEMBER 2016
|
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