by Calculated Risk on 4/11/2017 09:49:00 AM

From the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB): Small Business Optimism Sustained in March

The Index of Small Business Optimism fell 0.6 points to 104.7, sustaining the remarkable surge in optimism that started November 9, 2016, the day after the election.
...
Small business owners reported a seasonally adjusted average employment change per firm of 0.16 workers per firm, a solid showing. ... Sixteen percent of owners cited the difficulty of finding qualified workers as their Single Most Important Business Problem (down 1 point), far more than were concerned with weak sales. Thirty percent of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, down 2 points but historically high.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the small business optimism index since 1986.

The index decreased to 104.7 in March.