This is the 24th straight month that the index remains below the 50-year moving average of 98. NFIB notes that small businesses remain very pessimistic about the outlook coming into this year, with 23% of firms reporting inflation to be their single-most important problem in business operations - up 1% from November. Adding that while 2023 is now "in the rearview mirror, it will weigh heavily on the 2024 economy".
