1/3rd of small US firms see sales drop amid surging Omicron cases

New York, Jan 15 : Thirty-three per cent of small firms in the US have reported revenue decreases in the week ended January 9 due to the surge of Omicron cases, the highest since February last year, Bloomberg has reported, citing the US Census Small Business Pulse Survey.

Economists expect a sharp but short-lived decrease in economic activities due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, it said, noting that the number of sick days alone has limited the output of many industries, Xinhua news agency reported.

A growing number of small US businesses have shut locations, with the number of closures surging in Seattle, New York City and Washington, D.C., it added.