Small business hiring is always a key economic indicator. Despite the slowing economy, hiring was still up last month, but the pace of growth slowed. From Entrepreneur Daily:

Year to date, small business hiring has increased 1.0 percent and salaries are down 0.1 percent. The current average small business salary in the United States now stands at $32,567.

"Hiring was up last month but the pace of growth was very low compared to prior months," noted Michael Alter, President of SurePayroll. "Entrepreneurs are incredibly resilient, but it does appear that the economy is taking a toll on small business growth."