Small business optimism rose to 97.4 in June, a four-month high

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 2.1 points in June to 97.4, from 95.3 in May. Cris Tolomia at Quartz reported the release. The reading beat the 95.7 economists had expected and sits just under the survey's 52-year average of 98. NFIB attributed the gain mainly to improved expectations for business conditions and real sales.

The Uncertainty Index fell 2 points to 89, from 91, and stays well above its historical average of 68. Twenty-one percent of owners named inflation as their single most important problem, up 3 points from May and the highest share since October 2024. A seasonally adjusted 32 percent reported job openings they could not fill, up 3 points.