08:11 AM EDT, 08/21/2025 (MT Newswires) -- After a four-month climb to the 50 threshold, the long-term small business confidence is trending downward again, said the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) on Thursday.

It reached 47.8 points in August, according to CFIB's Monthly Business Barometer results for August

Key highlights are:

-- Inflation indicators remain unchanged from July, with the average price increase holding at 2.7%, and the average wage increase steady at 2.1%.

-- Full-time staffing plans are muted with no real appetite for hiring.

-- Weak demand remains the primary barrier to business and production expansion (as reported by 49% of small- and medium-sized firms).