Small business morale in the U.S. eroded for the first time in three months in September as business struggle with rising inflation, weaker sales outlook and labor shortage, survey data from the National Federation of Independent Business showed on Tuesday.
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index dropped 2.0 points to 98.8 in September. Economists had forecast a score of 100.5. The reading remained above the survey's 52-year average of 98.
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May 22, 2026 14:46 ET Minutes of the latest Fed policy session was the highlight of the week along with survey data on the U.S. housing market. In Europe, survey data signaled the trends in the euro area private sector. Further, consumer price inflation data from the U.K. was in focus. In Asia, various economic indicators from China drew attention to the health of the economy.