Small businesses in the United States plan to increase hiring as optimism grows, according to the latest edition of the Small Business Optimism Index released Tuesday (Aug. 11) by the National Federation of Independent Business. “Small business optimism rose again in July, with a significant increase in owners expecting to hire, accompanied by an improvement in plans to make capital expenditures,” NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said in a Tuesday news release. A seasonally adjusted net 20% of small business owners plan to create new jobs in the next three months, a nine-point increase from June, according to the release. The share of business owners who cited inflation as their most important problem declined for the first time this year, with 14% naming it as their biggest hurdle. “The Uncertainty Index rose 2 points from June to 91, remaining well above its historical average of 68.