Frown Fest

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Bummed out about the economy? You're not the only one. A survey of 1200 business owners found that not only are Chicago business owners less likely to be hiring, they generally "feel worse about their prospects than their counterparts do nationally on average." And, to rub it in, surrounding areas of the Midwest are more optimistic than we are. Yep, we're the most pessimistic town around and the city isn't even covered in ice yet. Yeesh. [Crain's Chicago Business]