Small-business owners expressed less optimism in September, driving the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index below the 52-year average of 98. The Uncertainty Index, which, at 89, was already above the historical average of 68, rose another point to 90 during the month. Business owners rated hiring and inflation as their top challenges. September was the third-consecutive month in which “quality and availability” of labor registered as the top concern for respondents in the index.
