Small businesses are expecting positive first quarter results, according to our SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard. Nine in 10 expect first quarter results to be the same or better than last year, an encouraging sign for the year to come. It’s also an indication that they are looking past headwinds from health care, international turmoil, the proposed minimum wage changes and debate on overtime laws.

1. As the first economic indicator created by a payroll company, the SurePayroll
Scorecard has provided a monthly look at national hiring and paycheck trends
since October 2004. SurePayroll's Scorecard compiles data from small
businesses nationwide, and exclusively reflects the trends affecting the nation's
"micro businesses" — those with 1-10 employees. The average business
reflected has 6 employees. The SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard - Main
Street Matters infographic also includes data for SurePayroll's top 35 MSAs.
Contact Lori Bolas
847-676-8420 ext. 7248
loriann.bolas@surepayroll.com
Copyright © 2014 SurePayroll. A Paychex Company. All rights reserved.
Main Street Matters
SMALL BUSINESS SCORECARD®
MAR-13
APR-13
MAY-13
JUN-13
JUL-13
AUG-13
SEPT-13
OCT-13
NOV-13
DEC-13
JAN-14
FEB-14
MAR-14
6.8%
6.7%
6.6%
6.5%
6.4%
6.3%
6.2%
6.1%
6.0%
5.9%
5.8%
5.7%
5.6%
5.5%
6.49%
6.74%
6.75%
Use of 1099s is generated from actual payroll data – paychecks issued to
contractors and employees – from small businesses nationwide.
MONTH-
OVER-MONTH
CHANGES
IN SMALL BUSINESS
HIRING & PAYCHECKS
YEAR-
OVER-YEAR
CHANGES
IN SMALL BUSINESS
HIRING & PAYCHECKS
ATLANTA
BOSTON
CHICAGO
CLEVELAND
COLUMBUS
DALLAS
DENVER
DETROIT
HOUSTON
LAS VEGAS
LOS ANGELES
MIAMI
MINNEAPOLIS
NASHVILLE
NEW YORK
NORFOLK
ORLANDO
PHILADELPHIA
PHOENIX
RALEIGH-DURHAM
RICHMOND
SAN DIEGO
SAN FRANCISCO
SEATTLE
TAMPA
WASHINGTON DC
0.4%
-0.3%
-0.3%
-0.4%
0.5%
-0.4%
0.9%
0.5%
-0.6%
0.5%
0.2%
0.4%
-0.6%
0.5%
-0.1%
-0.3%
-0.4%
0.2%
0.2%
0.7%
-0.1%
0.0%
-0.2%
0.0%
0.6%
-0.2%
-0.5%
-1.3%
-0.4%
-1.0%
-0.4%
-0.4%
-0.7%
0.8%
0.1%
-0.7%
-0.3%
-0.8%
-0.5%
-0.9%
-0.4%
0.0%
0.4%
-0.6%
-0.4%
-0.6%
0.2%
-0.7%
-0.7%
-0.1%
-0.6%
-0.2%
Hiring
Index
Pay
Per Check
ATLANTA
BOSTON
CHICAGO
CLEVELAND
COLUMBUS
DALLAS
DENVER
DETROIT
HOUSTON
LAS VEGAS
LOS ANGELES
MIAMI
MINNEAPOLIS
NASHVILLE
NEW YORK
NORFOLK
ORLANDO
PHILADELPHIA
PHOENIX
RALEIGH-DURHAM
RICHMOND
SAN DIEGO
SAN FRANCISCO
SEATTLE
TAMPA
WASHINGTON DC
4.5%
-8.8%
-2.0%
0.4%
-2.0%
0.9%
-1.3%
1.0%
-2.2%
-4.9%
-1.7%
9.5%
-3.2%
0.6%
-3.6%
2.2%
-3.9%
-5.5%
1.2%
9.6%
-0.8%
-1.2%
-1.8%
-7.2%
1.1%
-0.7%
-1.8%
-4.1%
0.5%
-3.1%
0.5%
9.1%
-8.9%
10.2%
1.7%
-3.1%
-2.0%
-6.0%
-2.2%
1.6%
-0.8%
-5.7%
-0.2%
2.2%
-1.7%
-5.0%
-8.8%
-6.1%
0.6%
-2.8%
1.1%
-4.0%
Hiring
Index
Pay
Per Check
Despite concerns over health care and
growth, small business owners are seeing
positives ahead. Three times as many think
business will be better this year than last after
the first quarter. A third see a more stable
economy as reason to raise their expectations
for 2014.While the absolute hiring numbers
are not on the rise yet, small business owners
often react based on their instincts and
confidence in the future.
More on the
Small Business
Landscape 87%
of small business
owners surveyed
expect the first
quarter results to be
the same or better
than last year’s.
Optimism Outlook
THE SMALL BUSINESS
Sept 2013 Dec 2013June 2013 Mar 2014
70%
59%
73% 69%
REGIONAL HIRING MAP REGIONAL HIRING MAP
Hiring
Index
Pay
Per Check
Hiring
Index
Pay
Per Check
NATIONWIDE
MIDWEST
NORTHEAST
SOUTH
WEST
-0.6%
-1.5%
-2.9%
2.2%
-1.6%
-1.1%
0.5%
-2.8%
-0.4%
-1.4%
NATIONWIDE
MIDWEST
NORTHEAST
SOUTH
WEST
-0.1%
-0.2%
-0.4%
0.2%
0.1%
-0.3%
-0.3%
-0.4%
-0.1%
-0.5%
MONTH-
OVER-MONTH
CHANGES
IN SMALL BUSINESS
HIRING & PAYCHECKS
YEAR-
OVER-YEAR
CHANGES
IN SMALL BUSINESS
HIRING & PAYCHECKS
MARCH 2014
NATIONAL HIRING
AND SALARY INDICES
METRO-BASED HIRINGAND SALARY
INDICES
REGIONAL HIRING
AND SALARY INDICES
Main Street Matters
SUREPAYROLL SMALL BUSINESS SCORECARD®
NATIONAL AND REGIONAL DATA
NATIONWIDE % OF 1099s
METRO AREA