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Local Comment on Latest Small Business Optimism Index

Local Comment on Latest Small Business Optimism Index

December 9, 2025

Congress and Nevada legislators combined to make it a fairly good year for Main Street

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tray Abney, Nevada State Director, tray@abneygr.com
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org

CARSON CITY, Nev., Dec. 9, 2025—From Tray Abney, state director for NFIB in Nevada, on today’s release of the latest NFIB Small Business Optimism Index, which rose 0.8 points in November to 99.0 and remained above its 52-year average of 98.

“Glad to see NFIB’s latest Small Business Optimism Index end 2025 on a positive note. This is a nice cap to a consequential year for Main Street enterprises across the nation and here in Nevada. The best news was Congress’ passing and President Trump’s signing into law the permanency of the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction, which was scheduled to expire at the end of this month. Additionally helpful to 32 million small businesses nationwide was the halting of the Beneficial Ownership Information rule, one of the great paperwork requirements of all time.

“Nevada’s small business owners came out of the 2025 session of the State Legislature with some beneficial laws passed, and combined with Gov. Joe Lombardo’s quick draw of the veto stamp on bad legislation, it turned out to a fairly good year for Main Street, something the recently concluded special session did not ruin. With state lawmakers not returning until 2027, small business owners are freer to do what they do better than big businesses:  employ families, neighbors, and communities and sustain local economies.”

From NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg

“Although optimism increased, small business owners are still frustrated by the lack of qualified workers. Despite this, more firms still plan to create new jobs in the near future.”

Highlights from the Latest NFIB Small Business Optimism Index

  • An increase in those expecting real sales to be higher contributed most to the rise in the Optimism Index.
  • The Uncertainty Index rose 3 points from October to 91. An increase in owners reporting uncertainty about capital expenditure plans over the next three to six months was the primary driver of the rise in the Uncertainty Index.
  • In November, the net percent of owners raising average selling prices rose 13 points from October to a net 34% (seasonally adjusted), the highest reading since March 2023 and the largest monthly jump in the survey’s history.
  • When asked to evaluate the overall health of their business, 11% reported it as excellent (down 1 point), and 53% reported it as good (up 2 points). Thirty percent reported the health of their business as fair (down 3 points), and 5% reported it as poor (up 1 point).

 

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 Optimism Index (aka Small Business Economic Trends report) 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 Nevada small business news at www.nfib.com or by following NFIB on X @NFIB_NV.

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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 Nevada
Abney Government Relations
775-443-5561
Reno, NV
NFIB.com
X: @NFIB_NV

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NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.

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