Canada's small business optimism over the short and long-term dropped sharply in September. Uncertainty around the outcome of the federal elections (most survey responses were received in the second week of September), and a mix of new restrictions and implications from vaccine passports can partly explain this significant fall of optimism among all provinces and sectors.
CFIB’s Business Barometer® Short-term Index, which is based on 3-month forward expectations for business performance, dropped more than 12 points to 43.2. The long-term optimism index which is based on 12-month outlook dropped 9 points to 57.8. Both indices are back to levels seen at the beginning of this year.
The full report from CFIB can be reviewed on their website.