Orange County Register

Small businesses cut an average of 0.83 job per firm in September. That’s about the same job-elimination pace in July and August but better than the record high 1.26 job loss per firm in May, according to the National Federation of Independent Business.

The numbers come from the small-business advocacy group’s monthly Business Index.

Overall, 16% of owners who responded said they eliminated jobs in the past three months, and 16% plan to cut their workforce in the next three months. On the plus side, 7% have hired in the past quarter and 7% expect to create new jobs by the end of the year.

Owners’ outlook on the economy continues to be negative, although slightly improved from August. Most say their sales aren’t improving, and they don’t expect revenues or credit conditions to improve in the next three months.

The report is bad news for the employment part of any economic recovery because small businesses account for more than half the jobs in the private sector and are the primary first employer of teens, women and immigrants.

“The good news is the Index didn’t decline. The bad news is that improvements were far less than what we hoped for,” said NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg.

Other economy stories…

• O.C. apparel maker to hire 200
• California first-time jobless claims at record and counting
• Swine flu or just playing hooky?
• Calendar of job search events (Oct. 13 and on)
• Objection delays Senate vote on jobless benefits
• O.C. manufacturing takes a breather, hiring plummets
• Jobless benefits could be extended 17 weeks
• Low-cost house painting parties fight recession
• O.C. medical company to add 1,000 jobs — in Utah
• O.C. bankruptcy filings jump 67% in August
• Proposed workers’ comp hike would ‘devastate’ small firms

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