FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Suzanne Budge, Idaho State Director, sbs@sbsidaho.com
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org

BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 10, 2024— The latest NFIB Small Business Optimism Index, released today, showed a big breakthrough in the attitudes Main Street entrepreneurs now have about the economy, rising in November to 101.7 from its 50-year average of 98.

The mammoth change breaks a 34-consecutive-month drought below the half-century average. Remarkably, of the 10 components in the index, nine increased, none decreased, and one remained unchanged.

“This is the best news to come around in a long time,” said Suzanne Budge, state director for NFIB in Idaho. “It’s also an opportunity to remind everyone of the good job Gov. Brad Little and our state legislators did these past three years in building a bulwark against the worst the national economy had to throw at Main Street, Idaho, mom-and-pop enterprises. If they can continue to build on those accomplishments, along with this big change in the national climate, solid economies lie ahead for the foreseeable future.”

From NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg

“The election results signal a major shift in economic policy, leading to a surge in optimism among small business owners. Main Street also became more certain about future business conditions following the election, breaking a nearly three-year streak of record high uncertainty. Owners are particularly hopeful for tax and regulation policies that favor strong economic growth as well as relief from inflationary pressures. In addition, small business owners are eager to expand their operations.”

Key Findings from Today’s Report include:

• The net percent of owners expecting the economy to improve rose 41 points from October to a net 36%, the highest since June 2020. This component had the greatest impact on the overall increase in the Optimism Index.

NFIB’s monthly Small Business Optimism Index is the gold standard measurement of America’s small business economy. Used by the Federal Reserve, Congressional leaders, administration officials, and state legislatures across the nation, it’s regarded as the bellwether on the health and welfare of the Main Street enterprises that employ half of all workers, generate more net new jobs than large corporations, and gave most of us the first start in our working life. The Small Business Optimism Index is a national snapshot of NFIB-member, small-business owners not broken down by state. The typical NFIB member employs between one and nine people and reports gross sales of about $500,000 a year.

Keep up with the latest Idaho small-business news at www.nfib.com/idaho, where this news release can also be found, or by following us on X @NFIB_ID.

###

For 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.

NFIB Idaho

802 W. Bannock Ste. 301

Boise, ID 83702

208-345-6632

Web page : NFIB.com/ID

Twitter: @NFIB_ID