Small business optimism hits 11-year low as inflation fears won’t go away

Small business confidence hit its lowest level in more than 11 years for March as proprietors worried that inflation is still very much a problem.

At a time when other data points show inflation receding, the National Federation of Independent Business reported Tuesday that its survey showed a reading of 88.5, down nearly a point from February and the lowest since December 2012.

A quarter of all respondents reported that rising costs were the biggest problem.