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

BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 10, 2026— The latest Small Business Optimism Index from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), released today, showed it fell 0.2 points in January to 99.3 but remained above its 52-year average of 98.

“It’s good to see small business optimism holding steady nationally,” said Suzanne Budge, state director for NFIB in Idaho, “but Main Street entrepreneurs here are right now weighing a whole lot of legislative action, such as the tax conformity bill, before they can fully share in the optimism.”

Of the 10 Optimism Index components, three increased and seven decreased. Expected real sales volume was the only component with substantial change, increasing by 6 points. The Uncertainty Index rose 7 points from December to 91. A rise in owners reporting uncertainty about whether it is a good time to expand their business was the primary driver of the rise in the Uncertainty Index.

One major highlight of this report is the new NFIB Small Business Employment Index, which translates multiple jobs-related questions into one single number. Currently, this index tells a story of a balanced labor market, coming in about 1.5 points above its historical average (101.6 current vs 100 average). In conjunction with the January report, NFIB also released a new episode of the NFIB Research Center’s “Small Business by the Numbers” podcast. Listen to the latest episode here.

From NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg

“While GDP is rising, small businesses are still waiting for noticeable economic growth. Despite this, more owners are reporting better business health and anticipating higher sales.”

Highlights from the Latest NFIB Small Business Optimism Index

• In January, 13% reported the cost or availability of insurance as their single most important problem, up 4 points from December. The last time insurance reached this percentage was December 2018.
• Sixty percent of small business owners reported capital outlays in the last six months, up 4 points from December and the highest level since November 2023.
• In January, a net negative 6% of owners reported paying a higher interest rate on their most recent loan, down 3 points from December. This suggests that credit markets are turning more favorable for small borrowers.
• In January, overall reported business health improved from December, with more reporting it as excellent and fewer reporting it as fair. When asked to evaluate the overall health of their business, 14% rated it as excellent (up 5 points), 54% rated it as good (unchanged), 27% rated it as fair (down 7 points), and 4% rated it as poor (up 1 point).

Keep up with the latest Idaho small-business news at www.nfib.com or by following NFIB on X @NFIB_ID.

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For over 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
NFIB.com
X: @NFIB_ID