Uncertainty Climbs Among America's Small-Business Owners

Uncertainty among America’s small-business owners rose to the highest level since March 2017 -- and the fourth-highest on record -- in June as sales and earnings trends softened, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. The group’s gauge is based on six questions -- including whether the next three months will be a good time to expand “substantially” -- but isn’t a component of the headline Small Business Optimism Index. That measure slipped for the first time in five months, to 103.3, reversing May’s gain.