Pair of business pulse surveys: Worries are percolating

A pair of national business climate surveys, including one with specific data on Tampa small business owners, shows that as spring gives way to summer, economic worries aren’t feeling too seasonal.

On one report, from the National Federation of Independent Business, labor quality is the top concern. Overall, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index decreased by 1.1 points in April to 89, according to a statement. It’s the 16th straight month below the survey’s 49-year history of 98. Labor quality, the release adds, is the top business problem at 24%, with inflation No. 2 by one point at 23%.

“Small businesses are in a difficult position,” NFIB Florida Executive Director Bill Hertle says in the release. “Inflation continues to drive up prices across the board, and a lack of qualified job applicants is leaving many small businesses without enough workers to maintain the level of service and timeliness their customers expect.”