Small businesses in the Hartford area were more likely to hire employees in the year leading up to this past summer than their national counter parts, according to a nationwide study by property and casualty insurer The Hartford.
The Hartford, which is headquartered in the city, said 44 percent of area small businesses hired employees over that period, compared with 36 percent of businesses across the country.
Despite that, Hartford area business owners were less optimistic about the local economy than owners in other states. Just 35 percent of area businesses were more optimistic about the local economy than the national economy or neither, compared to 48 percent nationally.
The insurer surveyed 300 area businesses with fewer than 100 full-time employees and annual revenue of $100,000 or more.
