A net 17 percent of small employers plan to increase employment in the next three months, indicating that this year could be a fairly good period for manufacturing if the economy holds and the dollar weakens. |
Barring a crippling auto industry strike or some other major event unforeseen in May, the latest survey readings indicate a growth rate of about 3 percent during the next six months, |
By historical standards, that's a good rate, but we're used to 5 and 6 (percent growth) now, so it's going to feel bad. Perspective gets skewed by prosperity. |
Capital spending (actual and planned) got healthier and one in five owners views the current period as a good time to expand, strong for this period in the cycle. |
Compared to last year, it's not a party, but historically, it's not so bad, |
Consumer spending seems to be holding up in the aggregate figures, but it appears that consumers are 'shaving' spending on a broad front ? still eating out but ordering the cheap entrees, |
Consumers have not become timid, capital spending is double digit, and the government is spending more. |
Credit costs more but is no harder to get. And because interest costs are not particularly large for most firms, there are few complaints. |
Historically, except for the dot-com hiring binge, this is a very solid number. |
I won't say 'deflation,' but price paring was widespread. It reached far beyond manufacturing and agriculture. |
It does not get much better (except in the crazy dot.com years). |
Judicious capital investments have allowed the small-business community to cut operating costs to the point where many are able to hold the line on -- or reduce -- consumer costs, improve employee compensation, withstand flat or lower sales and still generate higher profits, |
Katrina does put a wrinkle in the outlook. But the survey data indicate strong third and fourth quarters. |
Main Street optimism has backed down from the mountain top and is resting on a high plateau. The general view is that things have been going well for so long, they're bound to ease back a bit. Small-business owners aren't painting a doom-and-gloom scenario here. They just sense that the red-hot economy will cool by a degree or two. |
Shopping action must have been heavy, as the frequency of reported sales gains jumped way up in November, to the third-highest level in all of '98. |