CNBC Small Business Survey Shows 52% Expect A Recession

 | Feb 11, 2019 14:27

Main Street has caught up to Wall Street, at least when it comes to increased fears of a recession.

A narrow majority of small business owners across the United States expect a recession in the next year, according to the latest CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey. This was the first time in the two-year-plus history of the survey that small business owners were asked for their recession forecast, but the broader survey trends over time indicate more caution on the part of entrepreneurs as multiple readings of small business sentiment have declined.

The record level for the CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Confidence Index was reached in the third quarter of 2018 and has declined since then. Expectations for revenue and hiring, as well as over business conditions, also have declined from peak levels in Q3 2018.