Regional Scores

West Drops, As Other Regions Show Stability

National Score: 66.5

• Northeast (66.5)

  This quarter, small businesses in the Northeast show optimism in plans to increase staffing and increased revenue, though they also show a decline in cash flow comfort.

• Midwest (67.4)

  Midwestern businesses show more optimism in their plans to increase staffing compared to last quarter.

• South (66.9)

  Southern businesses are stable across most measures, but views of the local economy have weakened.

• West (65.4)

  Small businesses in the West saw a slight drop in their Index score this quarter, as the percentage who rate their business health as very good continues to soften. Also, slightly more Western small businesses are reporting increased time spent on compliance.