SURE-PAYROLL, A MONITOR OF SMALL
BUSINESS TRENDS, SAID HIRING AND
WAGE DATA SIGNALS THE END OF NATIONWIDE DOWNWARD TRENDS IN 2012

For Las Vegas, one of 35 metropolitan
areas studied by the firm, a 5.3 percent increase
in hiring is forecast, second only to
San Antonio.

Regionally, the South had the best hiring
and payroll projections. The northeast
was trending up in wages but down in hiring,
while the Midwest and West were down in both
categories.

Despite negative national numbers throughout
2011, the firm said, "December's optimism
index is nearly twice as high as it was in
September."

"We saw caution in 2011, but the leading
indicators suggest 2012 looks positive.
The sun is on the horizon, optimism is
higher, and 50 percent of firms plan to
hire and wages look to go up."

Sure-Payroll of Glenville, Illinois,
compiles data on more than 35,000 small
businesses, focusing on micro-businesses,
those with an average of 8 employees.