Small Businesses Have Yet to Recover from Congress

Although the Dow Jones Industrial Average continues to make new all-time highs, the recovery is much slower on Main Street. Pessimism among small business owners has yet to completely recover and remains under pressure as Washington manufactures one crisis after another.

The National Federation of Independent Business, the leading nonprofit small business association representing small and independent businesses, said its Small Business Optimism Index gained 1.9 points in February to 90.8, compared to 88.9 in the previous month. February’s reading is only slightly above December’s level of 88.0, which was the second worst reading since March 2010.

Small business owners are still trying to recover from a weak economy and two political parties determined to bicker with each other. Furthermore, an increase in payroll taxes and gas prices are hitting wallets.

With consumers taking it on the chin, sales are stumbling…