Small-business confidence in Canada dipped in March, but many business owners still intend to hire, according to a Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) report released this morning.
The CFIB said its national measurement of business optimism for March was 62.9, a 3.5-point drop from February’s results. Small-business owners in Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador were the most positive, while New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island showed the lowest business confidence.
B.C. is in the middle of the pack, with a score of 65.7.
“The numbers show a decline in optimism, but they're in line with what we saw in late 2012," said Ted Mallett, chief economist for the CFIB. “It's too soon to say if March's results mark a shift away from the trend of January and February."
But while small-business confidence is still wobbly, the report states, plans to hire full-time positions are the highest they’ve been since the recession, with 27% of owners saying they plan to hire staff in the near future.
“Five provinces witnessed modest improvements in their outlooks, and it's good to see that employment plans are still generally positive,” said Mallett.
