Small businesses fear closure amid COVID-19 pandemic

Members of the U.S. small business community say they are highly concerned about the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but millennial or Gen X business owners are particularly hopeful they will get the help they need to outlive the crisis, according to research released April 3. The MetLife & U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index includes a survey of about 500 U.S. small business owners conducted between March 25-28 gauging their perception of the economy.  recent One in four small businesses surveyed (24%) have temporarily shut down. Among businesses that are still operating, 40% said they will most likely close temporarily in the next two weeks. The survey found that 43% of small businesses said a permanent shutdown is unavoidable, and almost half (46%) said it will take the U.S