Small business owners are facing a mixed economic picture. In Episode 13 of By the Numbers, NFIB’s Holly Wade and Peter Hansen discuss declining optimism, persistent inflation pressures, rising fuel costs, and more. Tune in here: nfib.com/podcasts/

NEW: NFIB's September #SmallBusiness Economic Trends report shows optimism dipped to 97.9 as uncertainty remained elevated. Labor quality remains the top challenge for owners, while inflation concerns increased. Read more: nfib.com/news/uncategorized/… #SBET

#NFIB's August Small Business Economic Trends report shows a slight decline in #SmallBusiness optimism and uncertainty as business owners continue to navigate inflation pressures, weakened sales, and supply chain disruptions. Gain more insight with the full report here: nfib.com/news/monthly_report…

#NFIB's August Jobs Report found that small business hiring and job creation plans eased as summer came to a close, though many owners still struggle to find qualified workers. #SmallBusiness #JobsReport Read the report here: nfib.com/news/press-release/…

#NFIB Research Center released the quarterly #smallbiz survey that shows a boost in optimism. It was highest in construction and manufacturing with plans rising to increase employment compared to April. Read the full survey to see what else has changed here: nfib.com/news/press-release/…

The #NFIB #SmallBusiness by the Numbers Podcast is available at nfib.com/podcasts/. Tune in to get more information on the SBET survey covering the rise of AI and its effects on #smallbiz. Let us know what you want to hear in the next episode! 👇

.@CNBC Senior Economics Reporter Steve Liesman covers NFIB's Small Business Economic Trends survey, quoting an #NFIB #smallbusiness member: “The cost of fuel alone is killing us. Fertilizer for the farm is out of this world. Something has to give soon or we’re going to be the ones giving up everything.” Watch here: cnbc.com/video/2026/08/11/nf…

#NFIB Director of Research and Policy Analysis, Peter Hansen, spoke with @TND: “Plans to make capital outlays had been low and trending down for a few years now. In May, the comparisons were looking particularly concerning, with the lowest results since the Great Recession in 2009." Read more about the interview here: thenationaldesk.com/news/ame…

Be sure to check out the #NFIB research podcast #SmallBusiness By The Numbers where we cover everything from SBET to consumer confidence. Listen to the full episode here at nfib.com/podcasts/

The #NFIB July Small Business Economic Trends survey showed the highest level of optimism since August 2025. Of the 10 Optimism Index components, eight increased, and two decreased. Hiring plans contributed most to the rise in the Index. Read the full report here: nfib.com/news/press-release/…

NEW DATA: The July Jobs survey data suggests hiring plans are being made. The Small Business Employment Index rose after four consecutive months of decline, registering 102.1 in July after measuring 100.2 in June. Learn more from the report: nfib.com/news/press-release/…

.@Forbes cites #NFIB’s June jobs report in an article on skills gaps in the labor market. Read the full report for more data here: nfib.com/news/press-release/…

#NFIB Research Center Executive Director Holly Wade joined @NYSE to discuss the June SBET results: “We still hear from a lot of small business owners who are trying to fill those open positions [but] can’t find qualified applicants, and they’re really struggling to fulfill sales orders that are coming in.” View the NYSE interview here: youtube.com/live/j6nqulZpnhA…

NFIB’s June Jobs Report shows that the Small Business Employment Index remained essentially flat. "Main Street job openings are starting to pick up after a decline in May,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. Read the full report: nfib.com/news/press-release/…

.@Inc. cites #NFIB’s May SBET survey in an article on rising fuel costs. Research Center Executive Director Holly Wade is quoted: “Many owners have limited options outside of passing along those costs to their customers.” Click here to read the full article: inc.com/georgia-fearn/why-fa…

NFIB Director of Research and Policy Analysis, Peter Hansen, published an article on the state of the small business economy. Learn how higher fuel costs impact the data. Read the article here: nfib.com/news/research-blog/…

.@ChainStoreAge quotes Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg: “...More #SmallBusinessOwners are struggling with significant and unpredictable hikes in fuel prices, which are more challenging for small businesses to pass on to their customers compared to their larger corporate competitors.” Read more: chainstoreage.com/labor-cost…

Research Center Executive Director Holly Wade joined “Market Domination” on @YahooFinance to share insights from NFIB’s May SBET survey. Watch the interview here: finance.yahoo.com/video/smal…

James Freeman of @WSJopinion reports: "#Smallbusinessowners are also scaling back plans for hiring in the future. That’s according to the latest employment survey from the National Federation of Independent Business (#NFIB).” Read the article here: wsj.com/opinion/small-firms-…