FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Anthony Smith, NFIB Oregon State Director, anthony.smith@nfib.org
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org

SALEM, Ore., Sept. 9, 2025—From Anthony Smith, state director for NFIB in Oregon, on release today of the latest NFIB Small Business Optimism Index showing a rise of 0.5 points in August to 100.8, nearly 3 points above the 52-year average of 98. Of the 10 Optimism Index components, four increased, four decreased, and two were unchanged. The increase in those expecting real sales to be higher contributed the most to the rise in the Optimism Index.

“It’s encouraging to see the Small Business Optimism Index consistently registering numbers above its 52-year average. It wasn’t long ago, November of last year, that the optimism index experienced 34 consecutive months below its average. A major contributing factor boosting optimism nationally is the recent passage of small-business-friendly tax policy changes, including the now-permanent 20% Small Business Tax Deduction. It remains to be seen whether Oregon lawmakers will embrace these taxpayer-friendly policies or respond by unnecessarily raising taxes on Oregon’s small businesses.”

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.

From NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg

“Optimism increased slightly in August with more owners reporting stronger sales expectations and improved earnings. While owners have cited an improvement in overall business health, labor quality remained the top issue on Main Street.”

Highlights from the Latest NFIB Small Business Optimism Index

• In August, there was a notable improvement in overall business health. When asked to rate the overall health of their business, 14% reported excellent (up 1 point), and 54% reported it as good (up 2 points). Twenty-seven percent reported the health of their business as fair (down 4 points), and 4% reported poor (unchanged).
• The percent of small business owners reporting labor quality as the single most important problem for their business remained at 21%, continuing to rank as the top problem.
• In August, 32% (seasonally adjusted) of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, down 1 point from July. The last time unfilled job openings fell below 32% was in July 2020.
• The net percent of owners raising average selling prices fell 3 points from July to a net 21% (seasonally adjusted), the lowest reading of this year.

Keep up with the latest Oregon small business news at www.nfib.com or on X at @NFIB_OR

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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 its founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.

National Federation of Independent Business
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Salem, OR 97301
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