The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Optimism Index rose 1.6 points from March to April, but a record 44 percent of small-business owners reported job openings they could not fill.
The percent of small-business owners expecting better business conditions over the next six months fell 7 points to a net negative 15 percent, which the NFIB called “surprisingly glum.”
Read on for more from the NFIB index.