P.E.I. business confidence back on top in November

Business optimism on Prince Edward Island increased in November, according to the Business Barometer Index from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

The barometer had P.E.I. up five points to 71.4, the highest in the country. Any mark above 50 on the barometer indicates more business owners expect improvements in the coming year than do not.

The P.E.I. barometer has done consistently well this year, and also led the country in the spring.

• P.E.I. business optimism remains strong

Nationally the barometer was up slightly to 59.4.

On P.E.I. 58 per cent of owners said their firms are in good health and 16 per cent reported poor health. Short-term hiring plans are stable with the vast majority of business owners 88 per cent planning neither increases nor decreases in employment.

B.C. business owners recorded the second highest barometer, at 69.0. Alberta's was the lowest at 37.3.

The barometer findings are based on 623 responses, collected from a random sample of CFIB members.

The findings are statistically accurate within 3.9 percentage points, 19 times in 20.

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