A new survey of members by the National Federation of Independent Business indicates a lack of optimism that things are going to get better at the retail level before they get worse because of supply chain problems and staffing shortages.
“Nearly all of them expect this disruption to last for the next four or five months which is definitely going to put a dent in things for the holiday season,” said Dawn McVea who heads up the NFIB in Louisiana.
McVea says the supply chain issues are only getting worse.
“Over half of our members, 62 percent, are experiencing disruptions that are worse now than they were three months ago.”
The latest NFIB survey indicates that sales levels are 50 percent or less than they were during pre-crisis levels for 14 percent of small businesses. McVea says more than 600 businesses surveyed late last month say the problems are pushing the price of goods higher.
McVea tells us that business owners aren’t all that fearful that the supply chain and staffing issues will leave them with no choice but to close up shop.
“We definitely have folks reporting that they are more concerned with the supply chain disruption side of it than the staffing side of it,” said McVea.
She says 26 percent of small employers are currently having to deal with significant staffing shortages and 22 percent with moderate staffing shortages.
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