Office Depot Small Business Index Reveals Small Businesses Reluctant to Hire

Office Depot ODP today announced the results of the latest Office Depot Small Business Index – a monthly survey commissioned to gauge the economic trends of small businesses in America. According to the latest Office Depot Small Business Index, which surveyed more than 1,000 small business customers, 56% of small businesses are expecting increased profits within the next six months, while 59% expect an increase in their total business sales. However, 81 percent of respondents stated that they had no plans to hire within the next six months, citing reasons such as higher healthcare costs (18%), fear of higher taxes in 2011 (15%), lack of available credit (14%), and continued economic uncertainty (14%).