About three in 10 small business owners (29%) report having open roles they have been unable to fill for at least three months, unchanged for the past four quarters of the CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Confidence Survey. The overall index score continues to hover around all-time lows, holding at 44 out of 100, unchanged from Q4 2021 and nearly identical to the score of 43 from a year ago.
Other key findings from the latest survey, fielded January 24 - 30, 2022:
- Three in four small business owners (74%) say they’re currently experiencing a rise in supply costs, unchanged from Q4 (75%)
- However, an increasing number of small business owners are passing on the rising cost of inputs to their customers
- Just 28% of small business owners are confident in the Federal Reserve’s ability to control inflation, while 71% are not confident
- COVID hits (again): Two-thirds of small business owners say they have had problems with too many workers being unable to work after testing positive for COVID
- 33% of small business owners now approve of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president, while 67% disapprove (was 34%/65% in Q4 2021)
- 31% of small business owners say inflation is the biggest risk to their business now, topping supply chain disruptions (23%), COVID-19 (20%), and labor shortage (12%)
Read more about our polling methodology here.
Click through all the results in the interactive toplines below:
Which one of the following issues matters MOST to you right now?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Jobs and the economy 40%44%34%Health care 14%11%19%Other (please specify) 12%13%12%Immigration 12%14%9%The environment 10%9%12%Education 7%5%9%Terrorism 3%2%3%Foreign policy 2%2%3%No answer 0%0%0%Question wording: Which one of the following issues matters MOST to you right now?Survey dates: –Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 NET approve 33%29%38%Strongly approve 13%11%15%Somewhat approve 19%17%22%NET disapprove 67%71%62%Somewhat disapprove 12%11%13%Strongly disapprove 55%60%49%No answer 0%0%1%Question wording: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president?Survey dates: –Do you own a small business?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Yes 100%100%100%No 0%0%0%No answer 0%0%0%Question wording: Do you own a small business?Survey dates: –In addition to yourself, how many employees work at your small business?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 0 - 4 62%59%67%5 - 9 16%18%14%10 - 19 10%10%9%20 - 49 6%7%5%50 - 99 3%3%3%100 - 499 2%2%2%500 or more 1%2%0%No answer 0%0%0%Question wording: In addition to yourself, how many employees work at your small business?Survey dates: –Is your business a:
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Sole proprietorship 37%36%39%Partnership 6%6%7%Limited Liability Company (LLC) 34%36%31%C Corporation 7%7%6%S Corporation 13%14%13%B Corporation 0%0%0%Nonprofit 2%2%4%No answer 1%0%1%Question wording: Is your business a:Survey dates: –Overall, would you describe current conditions for your business as good, middling or bad?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Good 33%32%34%Middling 47%49%44%Bad 20%18%22%No answer 1%1%0%Question wording: Overall, would you describe current conditions for your business as good, middling or bad?Survey dates: –In the next 12 months, do you expect your business’s revenue to increase, stay the same, or decrease?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Increase 46%46%47%Stay the same 34%34%34%Decrease 20%20%19%No answer 0%0%0%Question wording: In the next 12 months, do you expect your business’s revenue to increase, stay the same, or decrease?Survey dates: –In the next 12 months, do you expect your business’s staff of full-time employees to increase, stay the same, or decrease?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Increase 23%24%21%Stay the same 62%60%64%Decrease 15%16%14%No answer 1%0%1%Question wording: In the next 12 months, do you expect your business’s staff of full-time employees to increase, stay the same, or decrease?Survey dates: –In the next 12 months, do you expect changes in government regulations to have a negative effect, no effect, or a positive effect on your business?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Negative effect 58%63%50%No effect 31%28%35%Positive effect 10%8%12%No answer 1%0%2%Question wording: In the next 12 months, do you expect changes in government regulations to have a negative effect, no effect, or a positive effect on your business?Survey dates: –In the next 12 months, do you expect changes in tax policy to have a negative effect, no effect, or a positive effect on your business?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Negative effect 61%66%54%No effect 29%26%33%Positive effect 9%7%11%No answer 1%1%2%Question wording: In the next 12 months, do you expect changes in tax policy to have a negative effect, no effect, or a positive effect on your business?Survey dates: –In the next 12 months, do you expect changes in trade policy to have a negative effect, no effect, or a positive effect on your business?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Negative effect 46%48%43%No effect 43%43%43%Positive effect 9%8%11%No answer 2%1%2%Question wording: In the next 12 months, do you expect changes in trade policy to have a negative effect, no effect, or a positive effect on your business?Survey dates: –In the next 12 months, do you expect changes in technological innovation to have a negative effect, no effect, or a positive effect on your business?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Negative effect 12%13%9%No effect 53%50%58%Positive effect 34%35%31%No answer 1%1%1%Question wording: In the next 12 months, do you expect changes in technological innovation to have a negative effect, no effect, or a positive effect on your business?Survey dates: –In the next 12 months, do you expect changes in immigration policy to have a negative effect, no effect, or a positive effect on your business?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Negative effect 36%41%28%No effect 56%51%63%Positive effect 7%7%8%No answer 1%1%2%Question wording: In the next 12 months, do you expect changes in immigration policy to have a negative effect, no effect, or a positive effect on your business?Survey dates: –In the past three months, has the size of your business’s staff of full-time employees increased, stayed the same, or decreased?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Increased a lot 3%3%3%Increased a little 9%11%6%Stayed the same 65%65%66%Decreased a little 15%16%15%Decreased a lot 6%5%8%No answer 1%1%1%Question wording: In the past three months, has the size of your business’s staff of full-time employees increased, stayed the same, or decreased?Survey dates: –Do you have any positions that have been open for at least 3 months that you have been unable to fill?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Yes 29%30%27%No 70%69%72%No answer 1%0%1%Question wording: Do you have any positions that have been open for at least 3 months that you have been unable to fill?Survey dates: –Compared to a year ago, would you say it’s gotten easier or harder to find qualified people to hire?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Easier 5%5%5%Harder 52%55%49%About the same 19%20%16%Not applicable 23%20%29%No answer 1%0%1%Question wording: Compared to a year ago, would you say it’s gotten easier or harder to find qualified people to hire?Survey dates: –Is your business currently experiencing any of the following? (Select all that apply)
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Rising costs of supplies 74%75%72%Supply chain disruptions 56%61%49%Rising costs of wages 45%48%39%None of the above 15%13%19%No answer 1%0%1%Question wording: Is your business currently experiencing any of the following? (Select all that apply)Survey dates: –(Among those experiencing rising costs of supplies) Which of the following best describes how the company is dealing with the rising costs of supplies?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 1,495 878 593 Absorbing rising costs without raising prices 21%21%22%Raising prices because of higher input costs 47%50%41%Planning to raise prices if costs continue to increase 32%29%36%No answer 0%0%0%Question wording: (Among those experiencing rising costs of supplies) Which of the following best describes how the company is dealing with the rising costs of supplies?Survey dates: –Would you support or oppose additional federal aid to small businesses to deal with the effects of coronavirus?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 NET support 62%54%75%Strongly support 34%28%43%Somewhat support 28%27%31%NET oppose 36%44%24%Somewhat oppose 18%19%15%Strongly oppose 18%25%9%No answer 1%1%1%Question wording: Would you support or oppose additional federal aid to small businesses to deal with the effects of coronavirus?Survey dates: –As you may know, many workers have to take time off if they or someone else in their household tests positive for COVID. How much of a problem has this been for your business in the past few weeks?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Major problem 30%28%33%Minor problem 35%35%33%Not a problem 35%36%33%No answer 1%0%1%Question wording: As you may know, many workers have to take time off if they or someone else in their household tests positive for COVID. How much of a problem has this been for your business in the past few weeks?Survey dates: –How confident are you in the Federal Reserve’s ability to control inflation?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 NET confident 28%26%31%Very confident 7%7%7%Somewhat confident 21%19%25%NET not confident 71%73%68%Not so confident 30%29%32%Not confident at all 41%44%36%No answer 1%1%1%Question wording: How confident are you in the Federal Reserve’s ability to control inflation?Survey dates: –How likely is it that inflation will be a problem for your business six months from now?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 NET likely 82%85%77%Very likely 55%60%48%Somewhat likely 27%25%29%NET not likely 17%14%22%Not so likely 11%10%13%Not likely at all 6%4%9%No answer 1%1%1%Question wording: How likely is it that inflation will be a problem for your business six months from now?Survey dates: –How likely is it that supply chain issues will be a problem for your business six months from now?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 NET likely 75%77%71%Very likely 46%47%43%Somewhat likely 29%30%27%NET not likely 24%22%29%Not so likely 15%15%16%Not likely at all 9%7%12%No answer 1%1%1%Question wording: How likely is it that supply chain issues will be a problem for your business six months from now?Survey dates: –How likely is it that employee turnover will be a problem for your business six months from now?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 NET likely 45%49%39%Very likely 19%21%16%Somewhat likely 26%28%23%NET not likely 53%50%59%Not so likely 27%27%28%Not likely at all 26%23%31%No answer 1%1%2%Question wording: How likely is it that employee turnover will be a problem for your business six months from now?Survey dates: –Which of the following is the biggest risk to your business right now?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 Inflation 31%33%27%Supply chain disruptions 23%24%21%COVID-19 20%14%29%Labor shortage 12%13%10%Other (please specify) 9%10%8%Cybersecurity 5%5%4%No answer 1%1%1%Question wording: Which of the following is the biggest risk to your business right now?Survey dates: –How concerned are you that your business will be the victim of a cyber attack within the next 12 months?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 2,227 1,252 934 NET concerned 38%39%36%Very concerned 9%10%8%Somewhat concerned 29%29%28%NET not concerned 60%60%62%Not so concerned 35%35%36%Not concerned at all 25%24%26%No answer 1%1%1%Question wording: How concerned are you that your business will be the victim of a cyber attack within the next 12 months?Survey dates: –
