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Small-Business Owners: No Rebound Yet

Scott Eden

A majority of U.S. small-business owners -- more than 59% -- expect the recession to last at least until 2010, according to a survey released on Monday. About 23% are more optimistic, expecting an economic turnaround by the end of this year.

Administaff(ASF Quote), the Houston-based payroll management and human-resources company, conducted the poll in late April of its more than 6,000 small-business clients around the country.

The survey's results indicated that hiring has slowed to a trickle, with only 18% of respondents planning to add to their staffs and 19% actively laying employees off. About 62% said they'll maintain their present staff levels.

The results were equally bleak -- if unsurprisingly so -- with regard to compensation. Only 10% of the survey's participants said they plan to increase worker pay, while 12% indicated they'll be cutting back and 52% that they'll maintain current rates. The remainder, 20%, were unsure of their plans.

Still, the average compensation reported by the survey's participants rose 4.8% in 2009 compared with the same period a year ago, while bonuses and commissions declined 0.5% and 8.7%, respectively.

Earlier Monday, Administaff reported its own financial results for the first quarter, saying its earning fell 38% from a year ago, even while beating analysts' forecasts for the period.