Small Business Employment Sees Highest Growth Since January 2012

Small Business Employment Sees Highest Growth Since January 2012

Revenues Continue to Decline Across Industries

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- American small business employment gained 35,000 news jobs in May, while compensation remained stagnant and hours worked decreased. Small business revenues continued to drop in April, with the real estate industry seeing the biggest decline for the month at 1.5 percent.

Those are among the findings of the monthly Intuit Inc. (NAS: INTU) Small Business Employment and Revenue Indexes. The report also found that:

• Employment rose by 0.18 percent in May, for an annualized growth rate of 2.1 percent.

• Average monthly compensation showed no growth in May, remaining steady at the April revised estimate of $2,696.

• Average monthly hours worked by hourly employees fell by 0.12 percent in May, which is equivalent to a decrease of six minutes from April's figure of 106.8 hours.

This employment index is based on data from Intuit Online Payroll and QuickBooks Online Payroll, covering the period from April 24 through May 23.

"The small business economic picture remains conflicted," said Susan Woodward, the economist who worked with Intuit to create the indexes. "While May's small business employment figures are the best we have seen since January 2012, small business revenues have continued to decline month over month on a per-business basis."

"Among the industries tracked, small business retail revenues have been hit the hardest this past quarter, followed by small business healthcare, which has seen the biggest revenue decline over the past year. The silver lining continues to be the construction sector, which is the only one to see year-over-year revenue growth on a per-business basis. The good news is the hiring rate, which has been essentially flat since mid-2009, has picked up slightly."

Decrease in Hours Worked, No Growth in Compensation

Small business hourly employees worked an average of 106.7 hours in May, making for a 24.6-hour work week. The decline of average monthly hours worked from April to May is consistent with the downward trend that began in mid-2011.

Average monthly pay for small business employees held steady from April to May at $2,696, slightly higher than the revised March figure of $2,685 per month. The equivalent yearly wages would be about $32,300, which is considered part-time work for almost two-thirds of small business employees in Intuit's data.

Small Business Employment Changes Split by Geography

Of the 36 states tracked by Intuit's Small Business Employment Index, 16 saw small business employment growth in May, while 19 saw declines and one remained flat.

Utah and Virginia saw the largest employment increases in May, with 0.3 percent and 0.11 percent respectively. Illinois and Wisconsin showed the greatest declines, at 0.1 percent each, while Georgia remained flat.

April Small Business Revenue Sees Overall Decline

The April revenue index showed a 0.6 percent drop in overall small business revenue on a per-business basis.

The real estate industry saw the greatest revenue decline in April, at 1.5 percent, while the retail industry followed with a 0.8 percent drop. Construction revenues declined the least in April, at 0.4 percent. This index is based on data fromQuickBooks Online, covering the period from April 1-30.

The Intuit Small Business Revenue Index is based on data from more than 150,000 small businesses, a subset of the total QuickBooks Online financial management user base.

About The Intuit Small Business Indexes

The Intuit Small Business Indexes provide unique, near real-time information each month on the activity of the smallest businesses in the U.S. in terms of revenue, hiring and compensation trends. The Employment Index is based on anonymized, non-identifiable aggregated data from 180,000 small business employers, a subset of users that use Intuit Online Payroll and QuickBooks Online Payroll. The Revenue Index is based on anonymized, non-identifiable aggregated data from approximately 150,000 small businesses, a subset of users that use Intuit's QuickBooks Online financial management offering and are matched in Dun & Bradstreet's small business industry classifications. Together, the indexes provide a more complete picture of the economic health of the nation's small businesses. More information on the Intuit Small Business Indexes is available at index.intuit.com.

About Intuit Inc.

Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks®, Quicken® and TurboTax®, simplify small business management and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. ProSeries® and Lacerte® are Intuit's leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. Intuit Financial Services helps banks and credit unions grow by providing on-demand solutions and services that make it easier for consumers and businesses to manage their money.

Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of $4.15 billion in its fiscal year 2012. The company has approximately 8,500 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.

Intuit and the Intuit logo, among others, are registered trademarks and/or registered service marks of Intuit Inc. in the United States and other countries. The Intuit Small Business Payroll Index is copyrighted by Intuit. Its contents may not be resold or modified in any way. It can be linked to and referenced with the following attribution: "Intuit Small Business Employment Index © Intuit Inc. All rights reserved." These Terms of Use supplement the Small Business Website Terms of Service at: http://smallbusiness.intuit.com/small-business/legal/index.jsp?_requestid=178246.

Intuit Inc.
Tammy Lam, 650-944-3807
tammy_lam@intuit.com
or
Access Communications
Stephen Imm, 415-844-6286
simm@accesspr.com

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