Small businesses still not very optimistic, NFIB says

By Jeffrey Bartash, WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) – Small-business owners aren’t very optimistic about the next few months. A increasing number expect sales to decline and the highest share since 2007 say they cannot find qualified workers, a trade group says. The National Federation of Independent Business said its small business optimism index was little changed in September, edging up 0.2 points to 96.1. That’s still below the 42-year average of 98. “Small business optimism continues to be stagnant, which is consistent with the expected economic growth of about 2.5%,” NFIB chief economist William Dunkelberg said. He said businesses are put off by the flow of regulations coming out of Washington and uncertainty over whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates.