by Calculated Risk on 8/12/2014 08:51:00 AM

From the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB): Small Business Optimism Ticks Up Slightly

July’s Optimism Index technically rose 0.7 points to a reading of 95.7. ...

Labor Markets. NFIB owners increased employment by an average of 0.01 workers per firm in July (seasonally adjusted), the tenth positive month in a row and the best string of gains since 2006.
emphasis added

Hiring plans increased to 13, the highest since 2007.

And in another good sign, the percent of firms reporting "poor sales" as the single most important problem has fallen to 13, down from 16 last year - and "taxes" and "regulations" are the top problems at 22 (taxes are usually reported as the top problem during good times).

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the small business optimism index since 1986.

The index increased to 95.7 in July from 95.0 in June.

Note: There is high percentage of real estate related businesses in the "small business" survey - and this has held down over all optimism.