Small Businesses Show Growing Signs of Caution About the Future
Staffing levels and investment plateau, as concerns about inflation grow.
Read The Q3 2021 ReportPresented by
Q3 2021 Report Highlights
Q3 2021 SBI:56.6
This quarter’s Small Business Index score is 56.6, down from last quarter (60.0 in Q2), but in line with the beginning of the year (55.9 in Q1 2021).
Highlights from the q1 2021 report
50%
of small businesses say it is difficult to recruit and hire enough employees to fill open positions
34%
of small business owners say the U.S. economy is in good health: higher than any point since the pandemic began.
72%
of small businesses say they find it difficult to manage higher costs due to inflation as they work to recover from the pandemic.
The Data Explorer
Use the Data Explorer to browse and analyze years of data from the Small Business Index.
The Data Explorer contains data going back to 2017 (when the Index began) on the 10 big survey questions covering views of the economy, hiring, investment and other key economic indicators.
Q2 2022
• SBI 66.8
Index Reaches Pandemic-Era High, but Inflation Concerns Dominate
Small business leaders say inflation is their top concern
Q1 2022
• SBI 64.1
Index Reaches Pandemic-Era High, but Inflation Concerns Grow
Supply chain disruptions also linger, moderating optimism.
Q4 2021
• SBI 63.0
Index Reaches Pandemic-Era High, as Many See Brighter Future
But worker shortage, inflation, and supply chain concerns persist.
Q2 2022
• SBI 66.8
Index Reaches Pandemic-Era High, but Inflation Concerns Dominate
Small business leaders say inflation is their top concern
Q1 2022
• SBI 64.1
Index Reaches Pandemic-Era High, but Inflation Concerns Grow
Supply chain disruptions also linger, moderating optimism.
Q4 2021
• SBI 63.0
Index Reaches Pandemic-Era High, as Many See Brighter Future
But worker shortage, inflation, and supply chain concerns persist.