--- title: "Small Business Optimism Drops Again in March" url: https://burnaze.com/article/c65ed5de-02eb-43e4-a796-37b3fbe9d67d source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/small_business_optimism_drops_again_in_march.html author: "Kerry Pipes" category: "Finance" topics: ["Finance & M&A"] published: 2023-04-25T08:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T20:41:26.350Z image: https://imgs.franchising.com/art/articles/7565_plate.jpg --- # Small Business Optimism Drops Again in March **TL;DR:** The NFIB's Small Business Index decreased for the 15th consecutive month in March, dropping 0.8 percent to 90.1, with small business owners reporting job openings that were hard to fill. NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg stated that small business owners are cynical about future economic conditions. *By Kerry Pipes, originally published in Franchising.com on 2023-04-25. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/small_business_optimism_drops_again_in_march.html).* ## Story NFIB’s Small Business Index decreased for the 15th consecutive month in March dropping 0.8 percent to 90.1. It’s a slight decline for small business optimism and continues a negative trend. “Small business owners are cynical about future economic conditions,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Hiring plans fell to their lowest level since May 2020, but strong consumer spending has kept Main Street alive and supported strong labor demand.” Here are some other key findings from the latest Index: -Forty-three percent of small business owners reported job openings that were hard to fill, down four points from February and remaining historically very high. -The net percent of owners raising average selling prices decreased one point to a net 37% seasonally adjusted. -The net percent of owners who expect real sales to be higher deteriorated six points from February to a net negative 15%. - Get Started in Franchising - Franchise Rankings & Awards - Franchise Sales & Development - Featured Franchise Stories Franchising.com is produced by Franchise Update Media. Franchise Update Media has its finger on the pulse of franchising with unrivalled audience intelligence and market driven data. No media company understands the franchise landscape deeper than Franchise Update Media. 1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 300A Washington, DC 20005 PH. (408) 402-5681 - Franchisee Financing & Lending - Site Selection & Real Estate - Supply Chain & Procurement - Annual Franchise Development Report - Multi-Unit Franchising Conference - Franchise Growth & Marketing Conference - Franchise Leadership & Development Conference - Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine - Franchise Update Magazine - Franchise Update Franchisor Report - Franchising Express Report - International Franchise Report - Multi-Unit Franchisee Report The multi-unit franchise opportunities listed above are not related to or endorsed by Multi-Unit Franchisee or Franchise Update Media Group. We are not engaged in, supporting, or endorsing any specific franchise, business opportunity, company or individual. No statement in this site is to be construed as a recommendation. We encourage prospective franchise buyers to perform extensive due diligence when considering a franchise opportunity. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - General (sector) - Kerry Pipes (person) - small business optimism (topic) - job openings (topic) - economic conditions (topic) - labor demand (topic) --- Originally reported by Kerry Pipes, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/small_business_optimism_drops_again_in_march.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/c65ed5de-02eb-43e4-a796-37b3fbe9d67d).