Area Development
In its U.S. Business Trends Report, Dun & Bradstreet finds that while the economy continues to recover from the lowest points of the recession in 2008-2009, business owners still encounter economic uncertainty that is slowing growth.

Business bankruptcies continue to rise, but at a slower rate than the same time last year. Overall U.S. business failure rates have improved over the past year, but failure rates for the transportation, construction, and manufacturing sectors are still 40 percent-80 percent higher than the national average.

Businesses are finding it easier to pay lenders and suppliers, a critical leading indicator of economic health. But the percentage of delinquent dollars is still significantly higher than before the recession, indicating sustained difficulty.