The economic rebound powering the S&P 500 Index to almost-daily records has left large swaths of Main Street behind, with millions of small businesses waiting to join the party.
The recovery may have plateaued for firms with fewer than 500 employees, recent data suggest. For the week ended April 18, 20% of small businesses reported a decrease in sales from the prior week, while about 13% saw an increase, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Business Pulse Survey.
The majority reported no change. The return to growth seen since January, when more than 40% of respondents had revenue declines, has stalled in recent weeks.
