Alberta small business confidence still strongest in Canada

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Monthly Business Barometer

Alberta Summary

Monthly Business Barometer

National Report

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The latest Business Barometer survey data shows confidence levels among small business owners in Alberta remained relatively flat in January at 73.3, just 0.3 lower than December's index score. However, Alberta's entrepreneurs remain the most confident in Canada, and more than 8 points higher than the national index which increased by a marginal 0.2 points in January to 65.2.

Yet, a closer look at the data reveals some interesting insights into how their perspective continues to evolve.

• The percentage of small business owners who described the state of business as being good rose five points in January to 47 per cent, compared to 45 per cent who said it was satisfactory, and only 8 per cent said it was bad.
• When it comes to hiring plans, 26 per cent of entrepreneurs stated they planned to hire more full-time workers in the next 3-4 months, 66 per cent said their employment plans would stay the same, and only 7 per cent said there would be a reduction. That compares to 22 per cent, 71 per cent, and 7 per cent respectively in December.
• In terms of their main operating challenges, 46 per cent of the small business owners pointed to a shortage of skilled labour, up 8 points from December. Similarly, the percentage of entrepreneurs who identified a shortage of unskilled or semi-skilled labour almost doubled, jumping from 13 per cent in December to 24 per cent in January.

Measured on a scale between 0 and 100, an index level above 50 means owners expecting their businesses' performance to be stronger in the next year outnumber those expecting weaker performance. According to past results, index levels normally range between 65 and 75 when the economy is growing. The January 2012 findings are based on 946 responses, collected from a stratified random sample of CFIB members, to a controlled-access web survey. Findings are statistically accurate to +/- 3.2 per cent 19 times in 20.