US small business confidence extends decline in February

Reuters

Tue, Mar 11, 2025, 3:03 AM 1 min read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. small-business assurance dropped for a 3rd consecutive period successful February, wiping distant overmuch of the gains notched successful the aftermath of President Donald Trump's predetermination triumph successful November, amid mounting concerns implicit the administration's commercialized policy.

The National Federation of Independent Business said connected Tuesday its Small Business Optimism Index fell 2.1 points to 100.7 past month. It mirrored declines successful some user and concern assurance arsenic good arsenic the banal market, which person each erased the alleged Trump bump. The NFIB's Uncertainty Index roseate 4 points to 104, the second-highest speechmaking connected record.

"Uncertainty is precocious and rising connected Main Street, and for galore reasons," said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg, without elaborating. Small concern owners thin to thin Republican.

The Trump administration's whiplash commercialized policy, marked by on-again, off-again tariffs against Canada and Mexico, has caused anxiousness among businesses, with economists saying the uncertainty was making it hard for companies to program ahead.

Suspended tariffs arsenic good arsenic those being threatened and duties already imposed person led consumers to expect higher ostentation implicit the adjacent twelvemonth and beyond.

The NFIB survey showed the stock of businesses raising mean selling prices jumped 10 points past month, the largest summation since April 2021, to 32%.

Price increases were predominant successful finance, wholesale, agriculture, retail, operation and manufacturing industries.

The proportionality readying terms hikes roseate 3 points to 29%, the highest speechmaking successful 11 months.

The stock of owners expecting the system to amended plunged 10 points to 37%. The proportionality saying present is simply a bully clip to grow their concern fell 5 points, the biggest diminution since April 2020, to 12%.

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci)