Sentiment among small-business owners increased in July as customer demand improved, despite the gridlock in Washington. The National Federation of Independent Business said its index 1.6 to 105.2. That snapped a five-month streak of readings that were either down of flat, and beat the consensus forecast for a drop to 103.2. The jump in the July reflected a strong labor market. Owners reported having more open positions now as well as plans to hire more in the future as well as expecting stronger sales and better business conditions.
The Labor Department in its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey reports job openings for June rose to a record to 6.16 million from 5.7 million in May. Big gains came in professional and business services, health care, and construction. But hiring fell, and separations fell slightly. The report also showed employers are having trouble finding employees with the right skills.
Serving the West Side first, I am Bill Roller of BR Capital for 1360 KUIK.
