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Small Business Trends & Research

The NFIB Research Center promotes greater understanding of small business and the conditions that impact it. The Center produces and disseminates various surveys and studies on small business, focusing on areas related to public policy’s effects.

Small Business Trends & Research

Small Business Trends & Research

The NFIB Research Center promotes greater understanding of small business and the conditions that impact it. The Center produces and disseminates various surveys and studies on small business, focusing on areas related to public policy’s effects.

Small Business Economic Trends Survey (SBET)

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SBET Report

The NFIB Research Center releases a Small Business Economic Trends (SBET) d…

The NFIB Research Center releases a Small Business Economic Trends (SBET) data on the second of Tuesday each month.

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Jobs Report

A monthly SBET jobs report emphasizing the overall health and operation of…

A monthly SBET jobs report emphasizing the overall health and operation of the economy, including employment, labor costs, budgets, and more.

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Quarterly Industry Report

A quarterly Small Business Economic Trends industry report highlighting the…

A quarterly Small Business Economic Trends industry report highlighting the construction, manufacturing, retail, and services industries.

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State Reports

New state (SBET) reports, produced by the NFIB Research Center, highlight r…

New state (SBET) reports, produced by the NFIB Research Center, highlight responses from state small business owners on a variety of issues compared to national averages from the NFIB’s monthly SBET surveys throughout the year. (CA, TX, OH, FL, NY)

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Additional NFIB Research Publications

Tariff & Trade Policy Report

Small businesses play a critical role in the U.S. economy, serving as a maj…

Small businesses play a critical role in the U.S. economy, serving as a major source of employment, innovation, and community investment. Yet small business owners often operate with limited margins and resources, making them particularly sensitive to policy changes that impact their business.

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Small Business Survey: February 2026

To better understand how energy prices impact small business operations, th…

To better understand how energy prices impact small business operations, this new National Federation of Independent Business survey collected responses from 775 small business owners across a wide range of industries and across the country.

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Problems and Priorities

This is the eleventh edition of this publication. The volumes are among the…

This is the eleventh edition of this publication. The volumes are among the NFIB Research Center’s most popular publications and therefore have become a staple.

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Small Business Tax Surveys

The 2024 NFIB Tax Survey assessed small business owners’ biggest tax chal…

The 2024 NFIB Tax Survey assessed small business owners’ biggest tax challenges, implications of potential changes to the tax code, and how tax policy impacts business operations.

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EY Tax Report

The EY (formerly Ernst & Young) macroeconomic analysis, released in conjunc…

The EY (formerly Ernst & Young) macroeconomic analysis, released in conjunction with NFIB, measured the impact on small business of permanently extending the 20% Small Business Deduction.

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Small Business and Technology

The adoption of new or updated technology by small businesses is crucial to…

The adoption of new or updated technology by small businesses is crucial to increasing productivity, which is in turn crucial to their ability to compete and grow profit margins. However, many factors come into play on how successful small business owners are at incorporating new technologies into business operations.

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2024 Small Businesses’ Contribution to the Community

This report provides insight into how and why small businesses contribute t…

This report provides insight into how and why small businesses contribute to their communities.

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NFIB Banking Survey Part I: May 2023

Small business banking is an essential component to business operations. Th…

Small business banking is an essential component to business operations. The ability to quickly access funds, make deposits, borrow, manage expenses, and seek advice are all part of the small business banking relationship. More recently, the financial response to the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a new level of small business ties with the banking system.

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NFIB Banking Survey Part II: August 2023

This report is a follow-up to the banking survey NFIB released in April 202…

This report is a follow-up to the banking survey NFIB released in April 2023, one month after the banking failures and one year into the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes. Small business owners were again asked about their financing activities and their experience in accessing credit. The health of the financial system is essential to sm all business operations, and this report offers insight into how well it is serving their small business clients.

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Financing Sales Survey: December 2023

This report is the third report in the 2023 small business credit survey se…

This report is the third report in the 2023 small business credit survey series first published in April 2023 which was one month after the banking failures and one year into the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes.

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NFIB Small Business and Inflation

Small employers were asked a series of questions on how the current state o…

Small employers were asked a series of questions on how the current state of inflation is impacting their business. This survey was conducted from June 31 – July 7.

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The U.S. Debt and Debt Limit Explained

The current U.S. debt is about $31.5 trillion. The current U.S. debt limit,…

The current U.S. debt is about $31.5 trillion. The current U.S. debt limit, or the total amount the U.S. government is legally allowed to borrow to pay its bills, is 31.4 trillion. So, what is the U.S. debt, how long until the U.S. hits the debt cliff, how is that determined, and what exactly does that mean? Here are some answers.

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Small Business Health Insurance Survey

This survey offers data that is not otherwise widely available to better u…

This survey offers data that is not otherwise widely available to better understand this relationship and the challenges small business owners face when dealing with health insurance for themselves and their employees.

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Small Business Introduction to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Part…

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was signed into law December 22, 2017. The…

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was signed into law December 22, 2017. The new law is the most comprehensive tax rewrite in over three decades. It offers significant tax relief to many small business owners. Small business is a very diverse sector of the economy, consisting of over five million employer firms with fewer than 20 employees, and about 5.7 million with fewer than 500 employees.

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The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: One Year Later Part II

The U.S. federal tax code underwent significant restructuring over the last…

The U.S. federal tax code underwent significant restructuring over the last 18 months since the passage and implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) on December 22, 2017. The new law provides significant tax relief to the majority of small businesses, addressing one of their most critical business issues, federal taxes on business income.

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Research Blog

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April 27, 2026

Regional Variations in Business Health and Prospects

Each month, NFIB surveys a random sample of its small-business membership to better understand economic trends and the current state of Main Street.

April 8, 2026

Price Pressures Have Eased, but Small Businesses Still Feel the Squeeze

Small business owners face many daily operational challenges, and elevated inflation adds one more challenge to the list.

March 31, 2026

Main Street Is Resilient, but Don’t Take It for Granted

Small businesses are resilient. It’s a truism—everybody knows it.

Member at work

March 25, 2026

Want to Help Main Street Affordability? Start with Energy

Affordability decided the 2024 election and will be the top issue in the midterms later this year.

NFIB Research’s Monthly Newsletter

May 2026

The Small Business Optimism Index for April was 95.9, up 0.1 points from March and below its 52-year average of 98.0. Of the 10 Index components, seven increased and three decreased. Earnings trends improved but were offset by a deterioration in expected business conditions. The Uncertainty Index fell 4 points from March to 88, remaining well above its historical average of 68. A shift from owners reporting “uncertain” to “no” on whether it is a good time for small businesses to expand was the primary driver of the lower Uncertainty Index.

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Academic Sponsorships

See awards given by NFIB Research Foundation

See awards given by NFIB Research Foundation

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Bill Dunkelberg Forbes Articles

NFIB’s Chief Economist offers expert advice on small business practices o…

NFIB’s Chief Economist offers expert advice on small business practices on Forbes.

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