By Ben GlickmanConfidence among U.S. small-business owners rose in June but remains below the long-term average, as inflation and labor concerns continue to weigh on owners. The portion of owners who said job openings were hard to fill declined two percentage points to 42% in June. "Halfway through the year, small-business owners remain very pessimistic about future business conditions and their sales prospects," said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. Higher costs associated with inventory troubles, labor and energy are still forcing owners to raise prices, Dunkelberg added. Write to Ben Glickman at ben.glickman@wsj.com(END) Dow Jones NewswiresJuly 11, 2023 06:14 ET (10:14 GMT)Copyright (c) 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Source: Wall Street Journal July 11, 2023 16:25 UTC