Small business owners’ optimism level about the U.S. small business economy reached 70 percent in March, the first time it’s gone into the 70s since May 2011. According to our Small Business Optimism Survey, this is a 4 percent increase over last month and a 17 percent increase from November and October. Month-over-month hiring in March was down slightly, while wages were flat.
Read more in the 2012 Scorecard press release.
March 2012 National Small Business Trends
March month-over-month hiring was down 0.2 percent. The average paycheck month-over-month was flat.
|
SurePayroll Hiring Index |
SurePayroll Pay Index |
| March ’12 |
11,687 |
945 |
| February ’12 |
11,711 |
945 |
| January ’12 |
11,707 |
947 |
| December ’11 |
11,727 |
947 |
| November ’11 |
11,751 |
950 |
| October ’11 |
11,772 |
949 |
| September ’11 |
11,789 |
951 |
| August ’11 |
11,810 |
952 |
| July ’11 |
11,827 |
952 |
| June ’11 |
11,838 |
954 |
| May ’11 |
11,840 |
952 |
| April ’11 |
11,846 |
954 |
| March ’11 |
11,849 |
955 |
|
May 2012 Regional Small Business Trends
March’s month-over-month regional outlook shows hiring flat in the South and down slightly in the Midwest, Northeast and West. Month-over-month wages were up in slightly in the South and West, and down slightly in the Midwest and Northeast.
Midwest Results
|
|
SurePayroll Hiring Index |
SurePayroll Pay Index |
| March ’12 |
11,117 |
917 |
| February ’12 |
11,142 |
918 |
| January ’12 |
11,138 |
920 |
| December ’11 |
11,161 |
922 |
| November ’11 |
11,189 |
924 |
| October ’11 |
11,223 |
925 |
| September ’11 |
11,239 |
928 |
| August ’11 |
11,259 |
932 |
| July ’11 |
11,271 |
937 |
| June ’11 |
11,282 |
942 |
| May ’11 |
11,288 |
940 |
| April ’11 |
11,308 |
943 |
| March ’11 |
11,325 |
946 |
|
Northeast Results
|
|
SurePayroll Hiring Index |
SurePayroll Pay Index |
| March ’12 |
11,950 |
956 |
| February ’12 |
11,977 |
958 |
| January ’12 |
11,976 |
963 |
| December ’11 |
12,003 |
966 |
| November ’11 |
12,016 |
970 |
| October ’11 |
12,035 |
969 |
| September ’11 |
12,062 |
970 |
| August ’11 |
12,104 |
970 |
| July ’11 |
12,136 |
970 |
| June ’11 |
12,164 |
971 |
| May ’11 |
12,183 |
970 |
| April ’11 |
12,206 |
972 |
| March ’11 |
12,225 |
970 |
|
South Results
|
|
SurePayroll Hiring Index |
SurePayroll Pay Index |
| March ’12 |
12,134 |
956 |
| February ’12 |
12,137 |
954 |
| January ’12 |
12,099 |
956 |
| December ’11 |
12,093 |
953 |
| November ’11 |
12,095 |
956 |
| October ’11 |
12,093 |
955 |
| September ’11 |
12,082 |
955 |
| August ’11 |
12,058 |
956 |
| July ’11 |
12,036 |
950 |
| June ’11 |
12,004 |
951 |
| May ’11 |
11,972 |
949 |
| April ’11 |
11,932 |
950 |
| March ’11 |
11,888 |
950 |
|
West Results
|
|
SurePayroll Hiring Index |
SurePayroll Pay Index |
| March ’12 |
10,450 |
1,129 |
| February ’12 |
10,495 |
1,128 |
| January ’12 |
10,534 |
1,128 |
| December ’11 |
10,581 |
1,128 |
| November ’11 |
10,639 |
1,131 |
| October ’11 |
10,680 |
1,129 |
| September ’11 |
10,728 |
1,130 |
| August ’11 |
10,788 |
1,130 |
| July ’11 |
10,847 |
1,133 |
| June ’11 |
10,901 |
1,134 |
| May ’11 |
10,934 |
1,131 |
| April ’11 |
10,970 |
1,135 |
| March ’11 |
11,012 |
1,138 |
|
About the Scorecard
Set in 2004, the SurePayroll Hiring Index (with a baseline of 10,000) and the SurePayroll Pay Index (with a baseline of 1,000) are generated as part of the SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard®, an economic indicator that tracks the health of the U.S. small business economy. The SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard is generated from actual payroll data — paychecks issued to contractors and employees — for tens of thousands of small businesses nationwide.
Questions regarding the SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard can be directed to Lori Bolas or Jennifer Signorini. Lori can be reached at loriann.bolas@surepayroll.com or by phone at 847.676.8420 ext. 7248. Jennifer can be reached at surepayroll@racepointgroup.com or by phone at 617.624.3217.
