Small Business Shows Steady Improvement

Bread-and-butter work for most printers comprises small jobs from nearby businesses, thus the steady improvement in the key measures of small business sentiment and spending intentions assures continued increases in printing work. Following is a summary of recent reports:

• National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation: The Small Business Optimism index from a survey of members was up 2.9 points to 105.9 in July, only a little short of the peak index value in 2000. Small business owners reported stronger plans for hiring and capital spending but noted a small, unwanted rise in inventory.
• Direct Marketing Association's Quarterly Review of Business: Stronger third-quarter spending plans were reported in a member survey of people involved in direct mail and interactive marketing.
• Manpower Employment Outlook Survey: Manpower is the largest temporary help service in the U.S. Its latest survey of 16,000 employers shows that fourth-quarter hiring plans remain at the high third-quarter level that was unchanged from the second quarter. Employers hired 628,000 people in the spring and an estimated 400,000 in the summer. Hiring plans are the strongest in manufacturing and distribution. Although regional differences are small, hiring plans are the strongest in the West and the weakest in the Midwest.