Small business owners are being pushed to the brink with an unprecedented set of challenges hurting their bottom line, according to new national survey data released Monday by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices, the Corridor Business Journal reported. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said their business had been forced to temporarily close or scale back operations due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases. Labor shortages were cited as the most significant challenge facing small business owners, with 87% of those hiring finding it difficult to recruit qualified candidates for open positions. Hiring and retaining workers is also having a worsening impact on revenue, as 97% of small businesses hiring say labor shortages are impacting their bottom line, reflecting a 17-point increase from September 2021.