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Business barometer takes a dive

The owners of Alberta small businesses have gone from being among Canada’s most optimistic entrepreneurs to among its most pessimistic, according to a survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

The owners of Alberta small businesses have gone from being among Canada’s most optimistic entrepreneurs to among its most pessimistic, according to a survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

The CFIB reported on Wednesday that its “business barometer,” which measures the level of optimism about future business performance, hit 64.1 in Alberta in December. That marked a slide of 7.2 points since November and 7.6 points since October, and brings the province to its lowest confidence level since the summer.

Alberta’s business barometer had been rising, and was among the highest in Canada, said the CFIB in a news release. Now, it only exceeds the corresponding indicators in Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island.

The national small business barometer also tumbled in December, going from 68 in November to 63.7. Confidence was down in eight out of 10 provinces, and 10 of 13 industries surveyed.

The business barometer is measured on a scale of zero to 100, with an index above 50 suggesting that more owners expect their businesses’ performance to be stronger in the next year than those anticipating weaker performance.

The CFIB said the barometer is usually between 65 and 75 in a growing economy.

The December survey was based on 1,161 responses from CFIB members nationwide, with this sample expected to produce statistically accurate results plus or minus 2.9 per cent, 19 time out of 20. Because the provincial results were based on a smaller sample, they would be expected to be less accurate.