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NFIBSMALL BUSINESS

ECONOMIC TRENDS

NFIBSMALL BUSINESS

ECONOMIC TRENDS

William C. DunkelbergHolly Wade

March 2011

S M A L L B U S I N E S S O P T I M I S M I N D E X C O M P O N E N T S

Seasonally Change From Contribution

Index Component Adjusted Level Last Month Index Change

Plans to Increase Employment 5% 2 *Plans to Make Capital Outlays 22% 0 *Plans to Increase Inventories -2% -1 *

Expect Economy to Improve 9% -1 *Expect Real Sales Higher 14% 1 *Current Inventory 2% 2 *Current Job Openings 15% 2 *

Expected Credit Conditions -10% 0 *Now a Good Time to Expand 7% -1 *Earnings Trend -27% 1 *Total Change 5 *

Based on a Survey of Small and Independent Business Owners

Column 1is the current reading; column 2 is the change from the prior month; column 3 the percent of the total changeaccounted for by each component; * is under 1 percent and not a meaningful calculation.

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The NFIB Research Foundation has collected

Small Business Economic Trends Data with Quar-terly surveys since 1973 and monthly surveys since

1986. The sample is drawn from the membership

files of the National Federation of Independent

Business (NFIB). Each was mailed a question-

naire and one reminder. Subscriptions for twelve

monthly SBET issues are $250. Historical and

unadjusted data are available, along with a copy

of the questionnaire, from the NFIB Research

Foundation. You may reproduce Small Business

Economic Trends items if you cite the publica-tion name and date and note it is a copyright of

the NFIB Research Foundation. NFIB Research

Foundation. ISBS #0940791-24-2. Chief Econo-

mist William C. Dunkelberg and Policy Analyst

Holly Wade are responsible for the report.

NFIBSMALL BUSINESS

ECONOMIC TRENDS

IN THIS ISSUE

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Commentary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Optimism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Earnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Prices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Employment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Credit Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Inventories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Capital Outlays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Most Important Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Survey Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Economic Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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SUMMARY

OPTIMISM INDEX

The Index of Small Business Optimism gained 0.4 points in February , rising

to 94.5, not the hoped-for surge that would signal a shift into second gear

for economic growth. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the fourth

quarter was revised lower due to a large fall off in inventory building andweaker consumer spending than initially estimated. Weak sales still get

the most votes by owners as their top business problem. Seven Index

components advanced or were unchanged and three fell, but all of the

changes, positive or negative, were small.

LABOR MARKETS

Fifteen percent (seasonally adjusted) reported unfilled job openings (up

two points from January), hinting that the unemployment rate could notch

down a bit. Over the next three months, 17 percent plan to increaseemployment (up five points), and six percent plan to reduce their

workforce (down two points), yielding a seasonally adjusted net five

percent of owners planning to create new jobs, a two point gain.

CAPITAL SPENDING

The frequency of reported capital outlays over the past 6 months fell 2

points to 49 percent of all firms. Owners remain in maintenance mode,

apparently unwilling to risk new capital investments or not seeing any need

for them. Capital spending remains historically low in spite of very lowinterest rates and all sorts of expensing incentives. However, the problem

is that cheaper equipment is still no bargain if you cant use it. The

percent of owners planning capital outlays in the future was unchanged at

22 percent, and is still historically quite low. Seven percent characterized

the current period as a good time to expand facilities (seasonally adjusted),

down one point from January. A net nine percent expect business

conditions to improve over the next six months, down one point, not a

reading that characterizes a strongly rebounding economy.

INVENTORIES AND SALES

The net percent of all owners (seasonally adjusted) reporting higher

nominal sales over the past three months was unchanged at a net negative

11 percent, 23 points better than March 2009, but still indicative of weak

customer activity. The net percent of owners expecting higher real sales

continued to rise, gaining one point to a net 14 percent of all owners

(seasonally adjusted). A net negative eight percent of all owners reported

growth in inventories (seasonally adjusted), a two point improvement. For

all firms, a net two percent (up two points) reported stocks too low,

historically a very positive level of stock satisfaction. However, plans to

add to inventories lost a point declining to a net negative two percent of all

firms (seasonally adjusted), consistent with weak sales trends, but not

consistent with the improved outlook for real sales volumes.

This survey was conducted in February 2011. A sample of 3,938 small-business owners/members was drawn.

Seven hundred seventy-four (774) usable responses were received a response rate of 20 percent.

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INFLATION

The spectacular period of price cutting in the small business sector was

triggered by the sudden decrease in consumer spending late in 2008 and

the need to get rid of inventory accumulated to satisfy the spending of a

consumer that had forgotten how to save. The net percent of owners

reporting higher average selling prices peaked at 32 percent in July 2008,

fell to zero that November and to a negative six percent in December, a

decline of 38 percentage points in just five months. For the next 25

months, the percent reducing selling prices exceeded the percent raising

prices by as much as 24 percentage points. Thats over! In January, the

seasonally adjusted net percent reporting higher selling prices was negative

four percent and in February, it hit a positive five percent. Seasonally

adjusted, the net percent of owners raising prices was five percent. January

was the 26th consecutive month in which more owners reported cutting

average selling prices than raising them. February ended that trend and as

the economy improves, more and more firms will be able to raise prices.

The trend is clearly supportive of higher prices in future months. Plans to

raise prices rose two points to a net seasonally adjusted 21 percent of

owners, the highest reading in 28 months. With an improving economy,

more and more of these hikes will stick.

PROFITS AND WAGES

Reports of positive earnings trends improved one point in February,

registering a net negative 27 percent. Better, but still far more owners

report that earnings are deteriorating quarter on quarter than rising. Part of

this is due to price cutting, but that is fading in importance as the economy

continues to grow. Large firms may be posting great profits, but the trend

on Main Street is not supportive of solid hiring and capital spending.

Labor cost, materials costs, interest rates not the problem. It is still weak

sales. Five percent reported reduced worker compensation and 15 percent

reported gains, a seasonally adjusted, a net eight percent reported raising

worker compensation, down two points. A seasonally adjusted five percent

plan to raise compensation, up two points and the highest reading since

November 2008. As labor markets tighten, compensation will rise.

CREDIT MARKETS

Overall, 92 percent reported that all their credit needs were met or that they

were not interested in borrowing. Eight percent reported that not all of

their credit needs were satisfied, and 51 percent said they did not want a

loan. Twenty-eight (28) percent of the owners reported that weak salescontinued to be their top business problem. The historically high percent

of owners who cite weak sales means that, for many owners, investments

in new equipment or new workers are not likely to pay back. This is a

major cause of the lack of credit demand observed in financial markets

along with the deficiency in housing starts, a million units below normal.

Thirty-one (31) percent of all owners reported borrowing on a regular

basis, still near the record low. A net 11 percent reported loans harder to

get compared to their last attempt (asked of regular borrowers only), up a

point from January.