MW: U.S. small-business index falls slightly in May
By Jeffry Bartash
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Small-business owners were slightly less optimistic in May and a majority expect the U.S. economy to get somewhat worse instead of better over the next six months, according to a survey released Tuesday. The National Federation of Independent Business said its small-business optimism index fell 0.1 points to 94.4% in May, a level "historically low and consistent with the sub-par performance of GDP and employment growth." The NFIB's sales index fell 4 points to 2% and the earnings component dropped 3 points to -15%. The employment index, a gauge of hiring plans, did rise 1 point to 6%, however. And the sales index is still at the second highest level in 60 months - only April was higher - despite the decline last month.
