by Calculated Risk on 1/10/2017 12:10:00 PM

Earlier from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB): Small Business Optimism Skyrocketed in December

Small business optimism rocketed to its highest level since 2004, with a stratospheric 38-point jump in the number of owners who expect better business conditions, according to the monthly National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Index of Small Business Optimism, released today.
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The Index reached 105.8, an increase of 7.4 points. Leading the charge was “Expect Better Business Conditions,” which shot up from a net 12 percent in November to a net 50 percent last month.
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Despite sharply higher optimism, hiring activity remained flat in December. Job creation increased by 0.01 workers per firm and job openings dropped two points. According to the NFIB Jobs report, released last week, finding qualified workers remains a persistent problem for small business owners.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the small business optimism index since 1986.

The index increased to 105.8 in December.

This is the highest level since 2004.