Small Business Optimism Rose Slightly But Remains Below Average: Survey

A sign at a store in Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 5, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch TimesOptimism among American small businesses rose marginally last month, with inflation being one of the key challenges, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) said in a May 12 statement.“The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 0.1 points in April to 95.9, below its 52-year average of 98.0 for the second consecutive month,” the federation said.