Optimism is growing among small US business, with headcount increases set to continue to rise, reveals a nationwide survey of 1,000 companies of 250 or fewer employees by job site CareerBuilder.

According to the survey, 19% added full-time, permanent recruits in Q4 2011 and Q1 2012 and 24% expect to do so in Q2 and Q3 2012.

It also shows that 32% of firms increased their sales in the last six months, with 46% expecting to do so in the next half-year.

Brent Rasmussen, president of Career Builder North America, says that “the increased sales and hiring activity among small businesses bodes well for where the market is headed”.