NFIB SMALL BUSINESS. William C. Dunkelberg Holly Wade SMALL BUSINESS OPTIMISM INDEX COMPONENTS

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1 NFIB SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC TRENDS William C. Dunkelberg Holly Wade June 21 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 1% 2 11% Plans to Make Capital Outlays 2% 1 6% Plans to Increase Inventories 2% 4 22% Expect Economy to Improve 8% 8 44% Expect Real Sales Higher 5% -1-6% Current Inventory % -1-6% Current Job Openings 9% -2-11% Expected Credit Conditions -12% 3 17% Now a Good Time to Expand 5% 1 6% Earnings Trend -28% 3 17% Total Change 18 1% Column 1 is 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 THIS ISSUE Summary Commentary Optimism Outlook Earnings Sales Prices Employment Compensation Credit Conditions Inventories Capital Outlays Most Important Problem Survey Profile Economic Survey

3 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?

4 SUMMARY OPTIMISM INDEX The May Index of Small Business Optimism gained 1.6 points, increasing to Not a strong signal of recovery, but it is headed in the right direction. It is the best reading since September 28 (92.9), just before the 5.4 point decline in October. Seven of the 1 Index components increased but job creation and capital expenditure plans barely moved and remain at recession levels. The duration of recession readings in the NFIB survey is exceptionally long compared to the recession period. If this is a V recovery, it is lower case. LABOR MARKETS Nine percent (seasonally adjusted) reported unfilled job openings, down two points and historically very weak. Over the next three months, seven percent plan to reduce employment (unchanged) and 14 percent plan to create new jobs (unchanged), yielding a seasonally adjusted net one percent of owners planning to create new jobs, two points better than the April reading. Since the third quarter of 29, job creation plans have seriously underperformed the recoveries from the other two deep recessions covered by the NFIB survey. Coming out of the milder 1991 recession, construction added more than 1, jobs and 2, new firms in a year's time. CAPITAL SPENDING The frequency of reported capital outlays over the past six months was unchanged at 46 percent of all firms, two points above the 35 year record low reached most recently in December 29. The percent of owners planning to make capital expenditures over the next few months rose one point to 2 percent, four points above the 35 year record low. Five percent characterized the current period as a good time to expand facilities, up one point. However, compared to past recoveries, small business owners expectations are far less optimistic of a solid recovery. INVENTORIES AND SALES The net percent of all owners (seasonally adjusted) reporting higher nominal sales in the past three months improved four points to a net negative 11 percent, and up 14 points in the past two months. It is the best reading since April 28. The net percent of owners expecting real sales gains lost a point, falling to a net five percent of all owners (seasonally adjusted) after a nine point gain in April. Small business owners continued to liquidate inventories and weak sales trends gave little reason to order new stock. A net negative 2 percent of all owners reported gains in inventories, eight points better than December s record liquidation reading but two points worse than in April. Plans to add to inventories improved four points to two percent of all firms (seasonally adjusted) adding to a five point improvement in April. This survey was conducted in May 21. A sample of 3,938 small-business owners/members was drawn. Eight hundred and twenty-three (823) usable responses were received a response rate of 21 percent. 1 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

5 INFLATION The weak economy continued to put downward pressure on prices. Fourteen (14) percent of the owners (down one point) reported raising average selling prices, and 28 percent reported average price reductions (up four points). Such widespread price cutting contributes to the high percentage reporting declining sales revenues. Plans to raise prices rose one point to a net seasonally adjusted 14 percent of owners. On the cost side, four percent of owners cited inflation as their number one problem (e.g. costs coming in the back door of the business) and only four percent cited the cost of labor, so neither labor costs nor materials costs are pressuring owners. PROFITS AND WAGES Reports of positive profit trends improved by three points in May, registering a net negative 28 percentage points, 15 points better than May 29. However, the persistence of this imbalance is bad news for the small business community. Profits are important for the support of capital spending and expansion. For those reporting lower earnings compared to the previous three months, 53 percent cited weaker sales, four percent blamed rising labor costs, six percent higher materials costs, four percent higher insurance costs, and six percent blamed lower selling prices. Six percent blamed taxes and regulatory costs. Owners continued hold the line on compensation, with 1 percent reporting reduced worker compensation and 13 percent reporting gains. Seasonally adjusted, a net two percent reported raising worker compensation, only four points better than February s record low reading of negative two percent. However, labor costs still appear to be under control, one of the major factors affecting inflation pressures. In past recovery periods, compensation improved at a much faster pace than we have experienced in this recovery period. 2 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report CREDIT MARKETS Regular NFIB borrowers, 32 percent accessing capital markets at least once a quarter, one point above the survey record low, continued to report difficulties in arranging credit. A net 13 percent reported loans harder to get than in their last attempt, down one point from April. Overall, ninetytwo percent of the owners reported all their credit needs met, or they did not want to borrow. Very weak plans to make capital expenditures, to add to inventory and to expand operations make it clear that many good borrowers are simply on the sidelines, waiting for a good reason to make capital outlays and order inventory and take out the usual loans used to support these activities. Even if credit were free, these business owners would not spend the money to hire or make capital outlays since such expenditures have no prospect of earning their keep. Only three percent of the owners reported finance as their top business problem, down one point. Pre-1983, as many as 37 percent cited financing and interest rates as their top problem. What businesses need are customers, giving them a reason to hire and make capital expenditures and borrow to support those activities. Thirty (3) percent cite weak sales as their top business problem, up one point from April.

6 COMMENTARY The small business sector (half of private GDP and 2/3rds of new job created historically) is showing some signs of new life. The May survey delivered some actual positives more owners gave positive responses than negative ones to many questions than at any time in the past two years. Still, overall, the Index and its components remain in recession territory. The small business sector is in maintenance mode, not growth, but it has definitely lifted off the bottom with the worst survey readings behind us. Unfortunately, Washington, D.C. and many state legislatures seem determined to undermine any economic forward momentum for small business owners. And even though small business owners continue to plead their case for policies that will help foster economic growth, many lawmakers are unwilling to listen. Small business owners keep saying that poor sales ( It s the consumer, stupid! ) is their most pressing problem and the reasons they aren t interested in expanding are due to current economic conditions and the political climate. Unfortunately, Congress is fixated on credit and special favors for unionized firms, and that wont sustain or support faster growth. A huge help in moving toward a stronger economy for small business owners would be to do no harm. But Congress continues to pass and propose legislation that increases the cost of running a business and create huge uncertainty about future costs. The small business sector of the economy is improving, there is a pulse, but it is weak. Washington is applying leeches and performing blood-letting as a cure. Assuming Washington does not intensify its efforts to cure small business, the sector will continue to plod forward as consumer spending picks up and the housing mess continues to correct itself. With half of the growth in Q1 accounted for by inventories, it is clear how important housing and consumer spending usually are in a recovery. These engines must get started, the inventory surge can t last much longer. For the year (half of it is almost over!), inflation will remain low as owners continue to reduce prices to raise cash and shed inventory to stay in business. The Fed has committed to lower interest rates, for better or worse, so no problems with the cost of credit (assuming one has use for it). Job growth will be anemic, we lose 4, Census workers mid-year and, if we want to restore 27 employment levels and unemployment rates by 213, we need a net 4, new jobs every month for 3 years. The inventory cycle is almost done for small businesses as existing stocks come into line with desired levels (based on rather pessimistic expectations for sales growth, unfortunately). Capital spending wont pick up, there is still excess capacity so spending will occur only for necessary repairs and replacement for most owners. Lot s of small businesses in the 5 Gulf states will be harmed by the oil debacle, more weak sales. Let s hope for a successful resolution of that problem before the next survey. 3 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

7 OVERVIEW - SMALL BUSINESS OPTIMISM OPTIMISM INDEX Based on Ten Survey Indicators (Seasonally Adjusted 1986=1) 11 Index Value (1986=1) OPTIMISM INDEX Based on Ten Survey Indicators (Seasonally Adjusted 1986=1) SMALL BUSINESS OUTLOOK OUTLOOK 4 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report Percent "Good Time to Expand" (thick line) Good Time to Expand and Expected General Business Conditions January 1986 to May Percent "Better" Minus "Worse" Expected General Business Conditions (thin line)

8 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 May 21 Reason Good Time Not Good Time Uncertain Economic Conditions Sales Prospects Fin. & Interest Rates Cost of Expansion Political Climate 1 4 Other/Not Available 3 2 OUTLOOK FOR GENERAL BUSINESS CONDITIONS Net Percent ( Better Minus Worse ) Six Months From Now NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

9 SMALL BUSINESS EARNINGS EARNINGS Actual Last Three Months January 1986 to May 21-1 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 May 21 Reason Current Month One Year Ago Two Years Ago Sales Volume Increased Costs* Cut Selling Prices Usual Seasonal Change Other * Increased costs include labor, materials, finance, taxes, and regulatory costs.

10 SMALL BUSINESS SALES Net Percent SALES Actual (Prior Three Months) and Expected (Next Three Months) January 1986 to May Expected Actual 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

11 SMALL BUSINESS PRICES Net Percent of Firms PRICES Actual Last Three Months and Planned Next Three Months January 1986 to May Planned Actual 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

12 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 EMPLOYMENT Planned Next Three Months and Current Job Openings January 1986 to May 21 Planned Job Openings NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

13 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 May Planned Higher Actual Higher

14 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

15 SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT CONDITIONS Net Percent of Firms CREDIT CONDITIONS Loan Availability Compared to Three Months Ago* January 1986 to May * 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)

16 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) 25 38/4 39/4 39/5 38/6 41/4 39/5 34/5 36/4 34/4 34/5 39/4 35/ /4 37/6 36/6 38/5 38/5 39/5 38/4 44/4 34/4 36/7 34/4 36/ /5 4/5 35/5 38/4 39/6 36/4 37/5 35/4 37/5 36/6 32/4 32/ /5 35/4 32/6 34/5 34/7 35/5 32/7 35/6 33/6 31/6 31/7 32/ /8 32/8 29/1 3/8 28/9 3/1 28/1 3/7 3/1 29/9 29/1 28/ /11 29/9 29/11 28/9 28/8 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 May Rate Relative (thin line) 13 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

17 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 May 21 Actual Planned

18 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

19 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 Percent -5-1 Inventory Plans Inventory Satisfaction CAPITAL EXPENDITURES Actual Last Six Months and Planned Next Three Months January 1986 to May Actual Planned Percent NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report ACTUAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES Percent Making a Capital Expenditure During the Last Six Months

20 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, $1, to $49, $5, to $99, $1, No Answer CAPITAL EXPENDITURE PLANS Percent Planning a Capital Expenditure During Next Three to Six Months NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report

21 SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM Problem SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM May 21 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 May 21 Big Business Inflation Insurance Regulation Percent of Firms NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Monthly Report Percent of Firms SELECTED SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM Taxes, Interest Rates, Sales and Labor Quality January 1986 to May 21 Taxes Interest Rates & Finance Sales Labor Quality

22 SURVEY PROFILE OWNER/MEMBERS PARTICIPATING IN ECONOMIC SURVEY NFIB Actual Number of Firms NFIB OWNER/MEMBERS PARTICIPATING IN ECONOMIC SURVEY Industry of Small Business Percent 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

23 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?