Small business bankruptcies in the US rising at worst pace since pandemic

Paper Plane Deli and Market in Charlotte on one of its last days in business last month. (Image: WSJ)

Tue, 03 Oct 2023

By Ruth SimonIn the US, small-business bankruptcy filings are rising this year, a signal that increased interest rates, tighter lending standards and higher operating costs are straining entrepreneurs. At the same time, some government aid programmes that helped entrepreneurs through the covid-19 pandemic have ended.Brighthouse Green Home Cleaning in Nashville, Tennessee, filed to reorganise its debt under federal bankruptcy law early this year. Demand for commercial and residential cleaning services rebounded slowly from the pandemic...

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