U.S. small business optimism index rebounds, but labor shortages and inflationary pressures persist

Odaily Planet Daily News: The US NFIB Small Business Confidence Index rose to 99.0 in November, up 0.8 points from October, with six out of ten sub-indices increasing, mainly driven by improved sales expectations. However, the Uncertainty Index rose by 3 points to 91, partially offsetting the optimism. Labor market conditions remain concerning, and the overall situation is still severe. About 33% of business owners reported job vacancies in November (previous value: 32%), marking the first increase since June and significantly higher than the historical average of 24%. There are positive signs in employment expectations, with about 19% of business owners planning to add employees in the next three months, up 4 percentage points from October, reaching the highest level of the year. Inflation remains a major concern in the November data, with the proportion of business owners raising average selling prices increasing from 21% in October to 34%, the highest since March 2023. (Jin10)