by Calculated Risk on 12/10/2019 09:43:00 AM

CR Note: Most of this survey is noise, but there is some information, especially on the labor market and the "Single Most Important Problem".

From the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB): November 2019 Report: Small Business Optimism Sees Major Spike in November

Small business optimism posted the largest month-over-month gain since May 2018, rising 2.3 points to 104.7 in November.
..
Finding qualified workers though remains the top issue for 26 percent reporting this as their number one problem, 1 point below August’s record high.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the small business optimism index since 1986.

The index increased to 104.7 in November.

Note: Usually small business owners complain about taxes and regulations (currently 2nd and 3rd on the "Single Most Important Problem" list). However, during the recession, "poor sales" was the top problem. Now the difficulty of finding qualified workers is a top problem.