NEW YORK (AP) — Even as the economy extends its growth and small businesses slowly add jobs, most owners are still holding off on hiring.

Small businesses have not been hiring at the pace that’s needed for a robust economic recovery, and many owners have no plans to add to their payrolls, according to recent surveys. In three released last week, the most optimistic reading came from Bank of America Corp., which found that 52 percent of owners plan to hire over the next 12 months. But Wells Fargo & Co. found only 21 percent planned to hire, and in a Citibank survey, 25 percent had plans — numbers consistent with other surveys in the past year.