Optimism among U.S. small businesses retreated in October for the first time in four months as the sales outlook worsened, while some measures of inflation accelerated.

A record 48% of U.S. small business owners said they raised compensation in December and nearly a third said they plan to do so in the coming months, the National Federation of Independent Business said Jan. 6.

The Small Business Administration said May 5 that the Paycheck Protection Program has been exhausted, after giving out nearly 10.8 million loans worth more than $780 billion since April 2020.

WASHINGTON — The Senate on March 25 passed a bill to extend the deadline for business owners to apply for forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, giving applicants two more months to apply for federal aid. The vote was 92-7.

At least 1 in 10 small businesses in the U.S. are expecting to lay off workers once their fiscal relief funds run out, according to a new survey.

The Trump administration and Congress expect an agreement April 20 on an aid package of up to $450 billion to boost a small-business loan program that has run out of money and add funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing.

U.S. small businesses found it a little easier to fill jobs in December, consistent with a moderating, yet still-robust, labor market, National Federation of Independent Business data showed Jan. 9.

NEW YORK — The new year brings new overtime rules for employers including small businesses and in turn, a pay raise for an estimated 1.3 million workers.

As a tight labor market makes filling positions more difficult, 26% of U.S. small-business owners plan to increase pay in coming months, the most since a record in 1989, according to a National Federation of Independent Business report out Dec. 5.