William C. Dunkelberg Holly Wade SMALL BUSINESS OPTIMISM INDEX COMPONENTS

Transcription

1 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends William C. Dunkelberg Holly Wade September 9 Based on a Survey of Small and Independent Business Owners SMALL BUSINESS OPTIMISM INDEX COMPONENTS Seasonally Change From Contribution Index Component Adjusted Level Last Month Index Change Plans to Increase Employment % 3 13% Plans to Make Capital Outlays 16% -2-9% Plans to Increase Inventories -7% -2-9% Expect Economy to Improve % 13 57% Expect Real Sales Higher -5% 6 26% Current Inventory -4% % Current Job Openings 8% -1-4% Expected Credit Conditions -13% 1 4% Now a Good Time to Expand 5% % Earnings Trends -4% 5 22% Total Change 23 % Column 1is the current reading; column 2 is the change from the prior month; column 3 the percent of the total change accounted for by each component; * is under 1 percent and not a meaningful calculation.

2 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends The NFIB Research Foundation has collected Small Business Economic Trends Data with Quarterly surveys since 1973 and monthly surveys since The sample is drawn from the membership files of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). Each was mailed a questionnaire and one reminder. Subscriptions for twelve monthly SBET issues are $25. Historical and unadjusted data are available, along with a copy of the questionnaire, from the NFIB Research Foundation. You may reproduce Small Business Economic Trends items if you cite the publication name and date and note it is a copyright of the NFIB Research Foundation. NFIB Research Foundation. ISBS # Chief Economist William C. Dunkelberg and Policy Analyst Holly Wade are responsible for the report. In Th i s Issue Summary...1 Commentary....3 Optimism Outlook...4 Earnings...6 Sales...7 Prices...8 Employment....9 Compensation... Credit Conditions Inventories...14 Capital Outlays Most Important Problem...18 Survey Profile...19 Economic Survey....

3 SUMMARY OPTIMISM INDEX The Index of Small Business Optimism gained 2.1 points in August, rising to 88.6 (1986=), 7.6 points higher than the survey s second lowest reading reached in March. Seven of the Index components posted gains or were unchanged, three declined. The gain was primarily a result of improved expectations for future business conditions and real sales volumes. The gain in the Optimism Index clearly signals that the worst is likely over, but so far there has been no surge in sentiment or in the important Index components directly tied to the Gross Domestic Product. LABOR MARKETS The job generating machine is still in reverse. Eight percent (seasonally adjusted) reported unfilled job openings, down one point from July. Over the next three months, 13 percent plan to reduce employment (down one point), and seven percent plan to create new jobs (down one point), yielding a seasonally adjusted net zero percent of owners planning to create new jobs, a three point improvement over July. Reports of compensation cuts and increases remained in record territory, with percent reporting reduced worker compensation, and 12 percent reporting increased worker compensation. Seasonally adjusted, a net six percent reported raising worker compensation, unchanged from July and only three points above June s record low reading. CAPITAL SPENDING Plans to make capital expenditures over the next few months fell two points to 16 percent, revisiting the survey record low reached in 1975 and in March of this year. Five percent characterized the current period as a good time to expand facilities, unchanged from July and historically very low. But, a net percent expect business conditions to improve over the next six months, up 13 points from July. The frequency of reported capital outlays over the past six months fell one point to 45 percent of all firms, a record low reading (data first collected in 1979). INVENTORIES AND SALES The net percent of all owners (seasonally adjusted) reporting higher sales in the past three months remained negative at minus 27 percent, but seven points better than the record low set in March and revisited in July. Expectations for gains in real sales rebounded, gaining six points from the July reading to a net negative five percent expecting improvements. Although still negative, this latest rebound in expectations is 26 points better than the March record low level. Small business owners continued to liquidate inventories. A net negative 24 percent of all owners reported gains in inventory stocks (more firms cut stocks than added to them, seasonally adjusted), three points better than the record low of negative 27 recorded each month from April through June. This survey was conducted in August 9. A sample of 3,938 small-business owners/members was drawn. Eight hundred eighty-two (882) usable responses were received a response rate of 22 percent. 1 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

4 2 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report INFLATION In August, 11 percent of small business owners reported raising their average selling prices, while 31 percent reported reductions in average selling prices (both unchanged). No inflation in those numbers. Seasonally adjusted, the net percent of owners raising prices was negative19 percent, far more cutting prices than raising them. Good news for Federal Reserve, bad news for owners. Plans to raise prices rose three points to a net seasonally adjusted eight percent of owners, 3 points below the July 8 reading. Pricing power has vanished and reports of sales declines are exceptionally high in part because of the widespread price cuts. PROFITS AND WAGES Reports of positive profit trends improved five points to a net negative 4 percentage points. Not seasonally adjusted, 16 percent reported profits higher (up three points), but 5 percent reported profits falling (down two points). Of those owners reporting lower earnings compared to the previous three months, 62 percent cited weaker sales. The fact that these negative reports persist is bad news for the small business community. Wage pressures are falling as owners not only reduce employment but also the compensation of remaining workers. But the cost reductions are not enough to firm up profits. Ten percent of the owners reported reducing worker compensation, a near record high. Only 12 percent reported raising worker compensation, a point above the survey record low reached in the last few months. Seasonally adjusted, a net six percent reported raising compensation, unchanged from July but a few points above the June record low reading of three percent. CREDIT MARKETS Overall, loan demand is down due to widespread postponement of investment in inventories and historically low plans for capital spending. Thirty-two (32) percent reported regular borrowing, down one point from July. Of those borrowers, 3 percent reported all their borrowing needs met (up two points) compared to seven percent who reported problems obtaining desired financing (down three points). The recession is now 21 months old, much longer than any other time since the period, so more stress is likely as owners wait for customers to show up and for their cash flow to improve. The net percent of owners reporting loans harder to get fell one point to 14 percent of all firms. But only four percent of the owners reported financing as their number one business problem. Pre-1983, as many as 37 percent cited financing and interest rates as their top problem.

5 COMMENTARY It looks like the third quarter will turn out a bit better than we predicted last year. At the time, our forecast was quite optimistic. Most everyone seems to be revising up, even past the NFIB forecast. But the NFIB data confirm that the fundamentals are still weak. Cutting is starting to diminish, but adding has not picked up in jobs, inventories or capital spending. Only one month left to make Q3 but as we learned from Septembers in 7 and 8, Septembers can bring major shifts down and hopefully up. The small business sector has taken a real beating. Owners have reduced employment and cut inventories at a record pace, and capital spending (plans and actual) reached 35 year lows this year. Clawing their way back requires some cooperation from consumers, the source of sales for most small firms, and they are not in a spending mood. For many consumers, debt burdens have restrained spending. For higher income consumers, psychology is playing a negative role wealth losses have shocked them into reduced spending. Capital expenditures are at record low levels. So are plans to make outlays in the next three months. Plans to invest in inventories are at the third lowest level in survey history, but have been at that level for a long period of time. Inventory reductions have been running at new record levels for a year. Reports of sales declines are running at record levels (price cuts part of the cause, lower real unit sales as well) and this has produced reports of profit declines at record rates. It is looking like the worst period in survey history, worse in many ways that the period which had a relief growth rally in the middle of its 22 month span. Political leadership has also had a negative impact on attitudes. For years, owners have expressed a vote of no confidence in the economic policies of Congress. From September 8 through June 9, leadership has been unconvincing, appeared confused, and unable to act in a way that engendered confidence from the private sector. The Stimulus Package contained very little current stimulus and Congress has continued to pursue major legislative changes that promise to be less than business or consumer friendly. Taxes, Taxes, Taxes, Regulations, Regulations, Regulations. Deficits, larger and deeper. Depressing. With all that, the private sector is slowly climbing its way back, pent up demand is huge (even without the credit driven levels of spending from the expansion). Consumers are slowly rebuilding their financial foundations and spending will recover, albeit slowly. In the long haul, the relationship between consumption and spending is fairly stable. We used credit to over-consume, now we will repay the debt and under-consume for a spell. The attempts by Congress to steam roll the private sector are being repelled by ordinary folk and politicians who have faith in the private sector, not government. This is contributing to an improvement in expectations for economic performance. Real sales volumes and business conditions are expected to improve, let s hope that owners follow up with an increase in their spending and hiring. 3 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

6 OVERVIEW - SMALL BUSINESS OPTIMISM OPTIMISM INDEX Based on Ten Survey Indicators (Seasonally Adjusted 1986=) 1 Index Value (1986=) 9 8 OPTIMISM INDEX Based on Ten Survey Indicators (Seasonally Adjusted 1986=) SMALL BUSINESS OUTLOOK OUTLOOK 4 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report Percent "Good Time to Expand" (thick line) 3 Good Time to Expand and Expected General Business Conditions January 1986 to August Percent "Better" Minus "Worse" Expected General Business Conditions (thin line)

7 SMALL BUSINESS OUTLOOK (CONTINUED) OUTLOOK FOR EXPANSION Percent Next Three Months Good Time to Expand MOST IMPORTANT REASON FOR EXPANSION OUTLOOK Reason Percent by Expansion Outlook August 9 Reason Good Time Not Good Time Uncertain Economic Conditions Sales Prospects Fin. & Interest Rates 1 1 Cost of Expansion Political Climate 12 3 Other/Not Available 1 1 OUTLOOK FOR GENERAL BUSINESS CONDITIONS Net Percent ( Better Minus Worse ) Six Months From Now NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

8 SMALL BUSINESS EARNINGS EARNINGS Actual Last Three Months January 1986 to August 9 - Net Percent ACTUAL EARNINGS CHANGES Net Percent ( Higher Minus Lower ) Last Three Months Compared to Prior Three Months NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report MOST IMPORTANT REASON FOR LOWER EARNINGS Percent Reason August 9 Reason Current Month One Year Ago Two Years Ago Sales Volume Increased Costs* Cut Selling Prices Usual Seasonal Change Other 3 2 * Increased costs include labor, materials, finance, taxes, and regulatory costs.

9 SMALL BUSINESS SALES Net Percent SALES Actual (Prior Three Months) and Expected (Next Three Months) January 1986 to August Expected -3 Actual -4 ACTUAL SALES CHANGES Net Percent ( Higher Minus Lower ) Last Three Months Compared to Prior Three Months SALES EXPECTATIONS Net Percent ( Higher Minus Lower ) During Next Three Months NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

10 SMALL BUSINESS PRICES Net Percent of Firms 4 3 PRICES Actual Last Three Months and Planned Next Three Months January 1986 to August 9 - Planned - Actual -3 ACTUAL PRICE CHANGES Net Percent ( Higher Minus Lower ) Compared to Three Months Ago NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report PRICE PLANS Net Percent ( Higher Minus Lower ) in the Next Three Months

11 SMALL BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT ACTUAL EMPLOYMENT CHANGES Net Percent ( Increase Minus Decrease ) in the Last Three Months QUALIFIED APPLICANTS FOR JOB OPENINGS Percent Few or No Qualified Applicants * * Percent 4 3 EMPLOYMENT Planned Next Three Months and Current Job Openings January 1986 to August 9 Planned Job Openings - 9 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

12 SMALL BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT (CONTINUED) JOB OPENINGS Percent With Positions Not Able to Fill Right Now HIRING PLANS Net Percent ( Increase Minus Decrease ) in the Next Three Months NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report Net Percent SMALL BUSINESS COMPENSATION COMPENSATION Actual Last Three Months and Planned Next Three Months January 1986 to August Planned Higher 5 Actual Higher

13 SMALL BUSINESS COMPENSATION (CONTINUED) ACTUAL COMPENSATION CHANGES Net Percent ( Increase Minus Decrease ) During Last Three Months COMPENSATION PLANS Net Percent ( Increase Minus Decrease ) in the Next Three Months PRICES AND LABOR COMPENSATION Net Percent Increase and Net Percent Compensation - Actual Prices - Actual Compensation NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

14 SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT CONDITIONS Net Percent of Firms CREDIT CONDITIONS Loan Availability Compared to Three Months Ago* January 1986 to August * For the population borrowing at least once every three months. REGULAR BORROWERS Percent Borrowing at Least Once Every Three Months NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report AVAILABILITY OF LOANS Net Percent ( Easier Minus Harder ) Compared to Three Months Ago (Regular Borrowers)

15 SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT CONDITIONS (CONTINUED) BORROWING NEEDS SATISFIED Percent of All Businesses Last Three Months Satisfied/ Percent of All Businesses Last Three Months Not Satisfied (All Borrowers) 4 36/6 36/8 38/6 37/6 34/5 34/5 37/5 35/7 36/5 35/5 36/3 39/4 5 38/4 39/4 39/5 38/6 41/4 39/5 34/5 36/4 34/4 34/5 39/4 35/5 6 36/4 37/6 36/6 38/5 38/5 39/5 38/4 44/4 34/4 36/7 34/4 36/5 7 36/5 4/5 35/5 38/4 39/6 36/4 37/5 35/4 37/5 36/6 32/4 32/7 8 34/5 35/4 32/6 34/5 34/7 35/5 32/7 35/6 33/6 31/6 31/7 32/6 9 33/8 32/8 29/ 3/8 28/9 3/ 28/ 3/7 EXPECTED CREDIT CONDITIONS Net Percent ( Easier Minus Harder ) During Next Three Months (Regular Borrowers) Avg. Short-term Rate (thick line) INTEREST RATES Relative Rates and Actual Rates Last Three Months January 1986 to August Rate Relative (thin line) 13 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

16 SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT CONDITIONS (CONTINUED) RELATIVE INTEREST RATE PAID BY REGULAR BORROWERS Net Percent ( Higher Minus Lower ) Compared to Three Months Ago Borrowing at Least Once Every Three Months. ACTUAL INTEREST RATE PAID ON SHORT-TERM LOANS BY BORROWERS Average Interest Rate Paid NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report Net Percent SMALL BUSINESS INVENTORIES INVENTORIES Actual (Last Three Months) and Planned (Next Three Months) January 1986 to August Actual -25 Planned -3

17 SMALL BUSINESS INVENTORIES (CONTINUED) ACTUAL INVENTORY CHANGES Net Percent ( Increase Minus Decrease ) During Last Three Months INVENTORY SATISFACTION Net Percent ( Too Low Minus Too Large ) at Present Time INVENTORY PLANS Net Percent ( Increase Minus Decrease ) in the Next Three to Six Months NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

18 SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL OUTLAYS INVENTORY SATISFACTION AND INVENTORY PLANS Net Percent ( Too Low Minus Too Large ) at Present Time Net Percent Planning to Add Inventories in the Next Three to Six Months 15 5 Percent -5 - Inventory Plans Inventory Satisfaction -15 CAPITAL EXPENDITURES Actual Last Six Months and Planned Next Three Months January 1986 to August Actual Planned Percent NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report ACTUAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES Percent Making a Capital Expenditure During the Last Six Months

19 SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL OUTLAYS (CONTINUED) TYPE OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES MADE Percent Purchasing or Leasing During Last Six Months Type Current One Year Ago Two Years Ago Vehicles Equipment Furniture or Fixtures Add. Bldgs. or Land Improved Bldgs. or Land AMOUNT OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES MADE Percent Distribution of Per Firm Expenditures During the Last Six Months Amount Current One Year Ago Two Years Ago $1 to $ $1, to $4, $5, to $9, $, to $49, $5, to $99, $, No Answer 1 2 CAPITAL EXPENDITURE PLANS Percent Planning a Capital Expenditure During Next Three to Six Months NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

20 SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM August 9 Problem Current One Year Ago Survey High Survey Low Taxes Inflation Poor Sales Fin. & Interest Rates Cost of Labor Govt. Reqs. & Red Tape Comp. From Large Bus Quality of Labor Cost/Avail. of Insurance Other SELECTED SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM Inflation, Big Business, Insurance and Regulation January 1986 to August 9 Big Business Inflation Insurance Regulation Percent of Firms 3 18 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report Percent of Firms 4 3 SELECTED SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM Taxes, Interest Rates, Sales and Labor Quality January 1986 to August 9 Taxes Interest Rates & Finance Sales Labor Quality

21 SURVEY PROFILE OWNER/MEMBERS PARTICIPATING IN ECONOMIC SURVEY NFIB Actual Number of Firms Percent NFIB OWNER/MEMBERS PARTICIPATING IN ECONOMIC SURVEY Industry of Small Business Agriculture Retail Wholesale Transportation Manufacturing Construction Professional Services Financial Percent One NFIB OWNER/MEMBERS PARTICIPATING IN ECONOMIC SURVEY Two Number of Full and Part-Time Employees Three - Five Six - Nine Ten - Fourteen Fifteen - Nineteen Twenty - Thirty-Nine Forty Or More No Reply 19 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

22 NFIB RESEARCH FOUNDATION SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC SURVEY SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY QUESTIONS PAGE IN REPORT Do you think the next three months will be a good time for small business to expand substantially? Why? About the economy in general, do you think that six months from now general business conditions will be better than they are now, about the same, or worse? Were your net earnings or income (after taxes) from your business during the last calendar quarter higher, lower, or about the same as they were for the quarter before? If higher or lower, what is the most important reason? During the last calendar quarter, was your dollar sales volume higher, lower, or about the same as it was for the quarter before? Overall, what do you expect to happen to real volume (number of units) of goods and/or services that you will sell during the next three months? How are your average selling prices compared to three months ago? In the next three months, do you plan to change the average selling prices of your goods and/or services? During the last three months, did the total number of employees in your firm increase, decrease, or stay about the same? NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report If you have filled or attempted to fill any job openings in the past three months, how many qualified applicants were there for the position(s)? Do you have any job openings that you are not able to fill right now? In the next three months, do you expect to increase or decrease the total number of people working for you? Over the past three months, did you change the average employee compensation? Do you plan to change average employee compensation during the next three months?

23 Small Business Survey Questions Page in Report Are loans easier or harder to get than they were three months ago? During the last three months, was your firm able to satisfy its borrowing needs? Do you expect to find it easier or harder to obtain your required financing during the next three months? If you borrow money regularly (at least once every three months) as part of your business activity, how does the rate of interest payable on your most recent loan compare with that paid three months ago? If you borrowed within the last three months for business purposes, and the loan maturity (pay back period) was 1 year or less, what interest rate did you pay? During the last three months, did you increase or decrease your inventories? At the present time, do you feel your inventories are too large, about right, or inadequate? Looking ahead to the next three months to six months, do you expect, on balance, to add to your inventories, keep them about the same, or decrease them? During the last six months, has your firm made any capital expenditures to improve or purchase equipment, buildings, or land? If [your firm made any capital expenditures], what was the total cost of all these projects? Looking ahead to the next three to six months, do you expect to make any capital expenditures for plant and/or physical equipment? What is the single most important problem facing your business today? Please classify your major business activity, using one of the categories of example below How many employees do you have full and part-time, including yourself?... 19