The Canadian Federation of Impartial Enterprise says small enterprise confidence dropped to an all-time low in March as the commerce warfare with the U.S. ramped up.
The federation says its enterprise barometer long-term index fell 24.8 index factors to 25.0 in March.
Measured on a scale between zero and 100, an index studying beneath 50 means house owners anticipating their enterprise’s efficiency to be weaker over the following three or 12 months outnumber these anticipating stronger efficiency.
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Simon Gaudreault, CFIB’s chief economist and vice-president of analysis, says nobody is aware of when the tariff warfare will finish, and companies are anxious the worst is but to come.
CFIB additionally says the weak optimism is translating into decrease hiring plans with 19 per cent of small companies planning to lay off within the subsequent few months in contrast with 13 per cent in February. Eleven per cent of companies mentioned they had been wanting to rent.
The report relies on 1,065 responses from a stratified random pattern of CFIB members from March 5 to 7.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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