Optimism among small-business owners slipped in January, although capital spending and job-creation plans remain strong, according to a recent survey by the National Federation of Independent Business.
The group’s small-business optimism index slipped 2.4 points in January, to 103.7. The index has a baseline of 100.
Twenty-one percent of firms reported at least one “hard to fill” job opening in January, which was a 2-point decline.
Capital-spending plans slid 4 percentage points, to 34 percent of firms. In the last half of 2004, 65 percent of the small businesses surveyed reported spending money on capital projects, according to the report.
“Inventory-accumulation plans picked up substantial steam in January, as steady spending continues to deplete stocks,” the report said.
