Small business hiring was down 0.5 percent and the size of the average paycheck rose 0.2 percent in the Puget Sound area in February, according to online payroll firm SurePayroll.
Nationwide, according to the survey, hiring was down 0.1 percent and the average paycheck up 0.1 percent. Small-business owners’ optimism level is 59 percent, two points higher than last month.
The survey also asked small-business owners about a proposal to raise the national minimum wage to $9 per hour. “Most (79 percent) said such an increase would not impact their plans to hire, and 58 percent support the increase. However, 71 percent said it should be set by the states and 77 percent said they already pay their employees more than the minimum wage,” the company said in a release.
c.r.roberts@thenewstribune.com
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