DATA RELEASE: 23 Percent of Businesses Say Now is a Good Time to Expand

Analysis:

  • The number of net businesses saying that now is a good time to expand was 23 percent in October.
  • This is calculated as the number of businesses saying that now is a good time to expand minus the number of business saying that now is a bad time to expand.
  • The percent of businesses saying now is a good time to expand is up 12 percentage points from November 2016.

Economist Corner:

The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) has conducted a monthly survey of small and independent businesses since 1986. The survey, which covers a range of topics about business expectations, hiring decisions, and capital expenditures has been a reliable indicator of the status of businesses.