Calgary, October 29, 2020 – Alberta small business sentiment took a tumble in October amid new concerns about a second wave of COVID-19, falling 7.2 index points to 52.0 on the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)’s Business Barometer®.
“The drop in the Business Barometer® shows Alberta small businesses will face a tougher road to economic recovery heading into the winter months,” said Annie Dormuth, Alberta provincial affairs director. “Already over half (53%) of Alberta small businesses say they have seen a further drop in sales as a result/fear of the second wave. The Alberta government can help curtail this downward trend by doing a better job at reporting COVID-19 related health statistics in order to support consumer confidence.”
Businesses in Alberta were operating at a little above 67 per cent capacity for the month, with no improvements since August. Staffing intentions saw a slight decrease, with 28 per cent of businesses planning to reduce full-time staff in the next three months and 11 per cent planning to hire. Overall, only 19 per cent of Alberta owners say their business is in good shape and 33 per cent say it is doing poorly.
“The jump in COVID-19 cases is cause for anxiety in the small business sector, especially as some regions have renewed restrictions on businesses in the hospitality and personal services sectors, but the decline in optimism is pretty broad based,” said Ted Mallett, CFIB’s chief economist.
An index level nearer to 65 normally indicates that the economy is growing at its potential.
Provincial results: Optimism dropped in seven out of 10 provinces
All but three provinces saw a drop in optimism this month. Quebec (42.2), Prince Edward Island (44.0) and Newfoundland and Labrador (49.2) were the most downcast. Business owners in Nova Scotia (63.1) and British Columbia (60.3) posted the highest results. Saskatchewan (57.9) Ontario (57.3), New Brunswick (56.1), Manitoba (56.1) and Alberta (52.0) posted results close to the national average.
Industry results: All sectors grouped within a few points of the national average
Most sectors posted results closely aligned with the national average. The arts and recreation (60.7) and health (60.5) sectors were the most upbeat, while hospitality (52.1) and transportation (53.0) were the least optimistic this month.
Read the October Business Barometer®
October 2020 findings are based on 1,151 responses, collected from a stratified random sample of CFIB members, to a controlled-access web survey. Data reflect responses received from October 5 to 19. Findings are statistically accurate to +/- 2.9 per cent 19 times in 20.
For media enquiries or interviews on the Alberta results, please contact:
Annie Dormuth
Alberta provincial affairs director
403-700-1945
Annie.dormuth@cfib.ca
For media enquiries or interviews on the national results, please contact:
Milena Stanoeva, CFIB
647-464-2814
public.affairs@cfib.ca
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 110,000 members across every industry and region, including 10,000 in Alberta. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.
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