WITH November’s midterm elections just weeks away, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices surveyed small business owners, where 86 percent of respondents said they are definitely planning to vote, with 91 percent saying a candidate’s small business policy positions will play an important role in who they choose to support at the ballot box.

ANOTHER major concern among small business owners is the possibility of an economic recession. Among respondents in the same Goldman Sachs survey, 43 percent believe the U.S. economy is already in a recession, and 62 percent anticipate a recession in the next year. Some are experiencing recession indicators already, with 54 percent reporting a decline in customer demand over the past few months, 46 percent pausing expansion plans, and 29 percent citing difficulty raising capital/higher borrowing costs. Only 16 percent of small businesses are reporting a hiring freeze.

NEW Hampshire ranked No. 24 on WalletHub’s list of the states with the highest job resignations. According to report findings, the Granite State saw a 3.50 percent resignation rate last month, and 2.93 percent over the past 12 months.

DIVERSITY in New Hampshire still has a way to go, according to a WalletHub study conducted recently. The Granite State ranked as one of the least diverse states in the country, at No. 48, but did rank higher, at No. 13, for its socioeconomic diversity and at No. 7 for generational diversity. Looking specifically at racial and ethnic diversity, New Hampshire ranked low again, at No. 47.

IN recent years, many states have considered or enacted policies related to people who are transgender. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in May found that 64 percent of Americans favor public policies that protect transgender individuals from discrimination in jobs, housing and public spaces such as restaurants and stores. Only 21 states in the country, including New Hampshire, ban discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.