Small businesses’ hiring plans jump to post-recession high: CFIB

Alberta, N.L., Sask. most optimistic

Canadian small businesses started the new year with a healthy boost of optimism, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

Full-time hiring plans have jumped to a post-recession high, with 27 per cent of businesses expecting to hire additional staff in the next few months. Similarly, 44 per cent of business owners described their state of business to be in "good" shape — the best score of in the past four years, found the survey of 1,000 respondents.

"After a lacklustre November and December, small business owners across Canada are starting to feel more optimistic about the future," said Ted Mallett, CFIB's chief economist and vice-president. "While it's too soon to make any conclusions about 2013, the latest survey results are very encouraging."

The Business Barometer index jumped three points to 65.7 in January.

Small business owners in Alberta (70.5) are once again the most optimistic the country, although Newfoundland and Labrador (69.3) and Saskatchewan (66.7) are close behind. Ontario (65), Nova Scotia (64.2), Manitoba (63.5), Quebec (62.7), New Brunswick (61.7), and Prince Edward Island (58.3) all experienced increased small business confidence. Only British Columbia (61.6) firms saw a decline in optimism.

"Optimism is generally well-balanced across Canada," said Mallett. "Overall, there's a lot of optimism in white collar industries such as professional services, finance and the information sector, but manufacturing, retail and construction are not far behind."

Measured on a scale of zero 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 70 when the economy is growing at its potential.

Latest stories