Survey: Small businesses in Louisiana report a bleaker economic outlook than large companies

Reports in recent months on federal, state and local economic indicators such as unemployment, sales tax collections and home sales have all pretty much indicated slow but steady recovery and expansion. However, a new third-quarter “Market Pulse” survey of Louisianans released by Capital One Bank shows 32% of small business owners in the state believe economic conditions are not getting better—and instead are getting worse. The pessimistic sentiment hasn’t been that high on the Capital One survey in two years. In the second-quarter survey, just 15% of small business owners said they felt economic conditions were worsening. In contrast, just 10% of large business owners indicate in the third-quarter survey that economic conditions are getting worse. Rob Stuart, Capital One’s president of Louisiana operations, says the results “suggest that we are seeing a potentially significant difference between the perceptions and financial well-being of large and small businesses in the state,” adding that the results aren’t too surprising, “given the mixed economic news and the political uncertainties that we have seen in recent months.”