MA Business Confidence Ticks Upward

After bouncing up and down over the past few years, the Associated Industries of Massachusetts’ (AIM) monthly Business Confidence Index edged up in May to a reading of just over 52.

The Index uses a 100-point scale, with a reading above 50 indicating a majority optimistic feeling among the business community in MA, while a reading below 50 is reflective of a negative assessment of business conditions in Massachusetts.

This slightly above neutral reading continues a slow trend upward over first several months of this year.

The local trend mirrors a May survey of 715 small-business members by the National Federation of Independent Business, which shows that confidence among small-business owners rose for the second straight month.