Hire Ground Survey says hiring is up, but paychecks are down in the small-business world.

Small businesses hired more people in 2004, but paid them less,according to the Small Business Scorecard compiled by SurePayroll, aSkokie, Illinois, payroll service.

To generate the data, SurePayroll polled its over 14,000small-business customers across the country. Small businessesreported having 4.4 percent more employees last year. However, theaverage paycheck declined 4.8 percent. For detailed information oneach region, see the "What's the Score?" chartbelow.

SurePayroll president Michael Alter says the 2004 Scorecard,which will be updated monthly by the company and featured quarterlyin Entrepreneur, provides valuable insight into thesmall-business economy. "We've moved from what everybodysaid was a jobless recovery in 2003 to a payless recovery in2004," Alter says.