Small-Business Owners: No Rebound Yet

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. ...