National Poll Reveals Half of Small Businesses Won't Add Jobs for More than Six Months; Nearly One-quarter Unsure of Future Hiring Plans
RENO, Nev., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — As small business decision-makers closed the books on 2009, nearly half (46 percent) said it would require more than 12 months for their businesses to return to pre-recession levels in terms of annual sales, according to the Small Business Opinion Poll commissioned by EMPLOYERS®, America’s small business insurance specialist®. The national poll also reveals that 41 percent of small business decision-makers say it will be more than 10 months before they plan to begin hiring again. The Small Business Poll, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, surveyed 500 small business decision-makers across the country.
Even as key economic indicators such as consumer spending and new home sales are beginning to show signs of recovery, EMPLOYERS’ latest Small Business Opinion Poll reveals small business decision-makers are still apprehensive about 2010. And as credit markets remain tight, 40 percent of small business decision-makers reported the recession negatively impacted their access to credit.
