With a recent poll finding small business owners pretty much through the roof with optimism, there was a drop in the number of members responding to the survey versus last year. In all, 429 small business owners responded to the survey. This is a major drop from the 513 who participated in December 2024. This dramatic shift in response rate underscores the current reality for America’s smallest businesses as they continue to face economic headwinds.
Even with the smaller sample size, these results point to positive, steady labor trends in the small business economy. Employers indicated modest improvement in plans to add jobs over the course of December — a positive sign that employers are adopting an optimistic, if tentative, view toward growing payrolls. This is consistent with other macroeconomic indicators pointing to general good news on the overall economy as FY25 approaches its end.
The trend the survey was able to identify was a downward trend in the prevalence of small businesses raising their prices. Reading for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was lower than anticipated. More broadly, this trend might point to the inflationary pressures that have been weighing on microenterprises starting to lift. This easing in cost pressures has played a role in creating a better economic climate for small business owners.
Solid economic underpinnings have bolstered these hopes. Owners added that recent public policy clarity has lifted their economic prospects even higher. The economic headwinds are beginning to balance. With uncertainty at its lowest level since June 2024, small businesses are getting much more comfortable with the idea of operating in an uncertain environment.
Alongside sustainable environments, business owners are becoming more optimistic. This amendment reflects the positive macroeconomic indicators we were seeing at the end of 2025. This positive sentiment suggests that small businesses are adapting to external pressures and finding ways to thrive amidst fluctuating conditions.