Confidence among small businesses in the U.S. rose in the second month of the year to reach the highest level in three years on strong sales expectations, according to Bloomberg. On Tuesday, the National Federation of Independent Business reported that its optimism index climbed to 94.5, marking the highest level since the recession began in December 2007. The gain was driven by a 1% increase in small businesses expecting to see higher sales to 14%, which is the highest balance since September 2007.
The positive outlook carried over to hiring intentions, sub-index for small businesses planning to add jobs adding 2 points to a net 5%, with 15% of firms surveyed reporting difficulty in filling positions, which is the highest level in over two years. A separate report from temp agency Manpower showed that 16% of employers in the U.S. plan to add temporary workers in the second quarter, up from 14% for the first quarter. Projections for layoffs fell to 6% for that period from 10% previously.
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