The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index in the US fell for a second month to 98.8 in February 2026 from 99.3 in January and below forecasts of 99.7. “Although optimism declined slightly, small businesses report feeling more certain as they look toward the coming months. High sales and increased profits made February a more positive month for many owners, but competition from large businesses is putting stress on Main Street firms as they navigate the current economic climate”, said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. The net percent of owners expecting higher real sales volumes fell 8 points to a net 8%. Also, 15% of small business owners cited labor quality as their single most important problem, down 1 point from January. The last time labor quality, reported as the top issue, was this low was in April 2020. 59% of small business owners reported that supply chain disruptions affected their business to some extent, a decrease of 3 points from January. source: National Federation of Independent Business

NFIB Business Optimism Index in the United States decreased to 98.80 points in February from 99.30 points in January of 2026. NFIB Business Optimism Index in the United States averaged 98.00 points from 1975 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 108.80 points in August of 2018 and a record low of 80.10 points in April of 1980. This page provides - United States Nfib Business Optimism Index - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. United States Nfib Business Optimism Index - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2026.

NFIB Business Optimism Index in the United States decreased to 98.80 points in February from 99.30 points in January of 2026. NFIB Business Optimism Index in the United States is expected to be 97.00 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United States Nfib Business Optimism Index is projected to trend around 102.00 points in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-02-10 11:00 AM
NFIB Business Optimism Index
Jan 99.3 99.5 99.9 99.8
2026-03-10 10:00 AM
NFIB Business Optimism Index
Feb 98.8 99.3 99.7 99.1
2026-04-14 10:00 AM
NFIB Business Optimism Index
Mar 98.8 97


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
NFIB Business Optimism Index 98.80 99.30 points Feb 2026


United States Nfib Business Optimism Index
NFIB Small Business Optimism Index is a composite of ten seasonally adjusted components calculated based on the answers of around 620 NFIB members. This questions include: plans to increase employment, plans to make capital outlays, plans to increase inventories, expect economy to improve, expect real sales higher, current inventory, current job openings, expected credit conditions, now a good time to expand, and earnings trend.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
98.80 99.30 108.80 80.10 1975 - 2026 points Monthly
SA

News Stream
US Small Business Optimism Down for 2nd Month
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index in the US fell for a second month to 98.8 in February 2026 from 99.3 in January and below forecasts of 99.7. “Although optimism declined slightly, small businesses report feeling more certain as they look toward the coming months. High sales and increased profits made February a more positive month for many owners, but competition from large businesses is putting stress on Main Street firms as they navigate the current economic climate”, said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. The net percent of owners expecting higher real sales volumes fell 8 points to a net 8%. Also, 15% of small business owners cited labor quality as their single most important problem, down 1 point from January. The last time labor quality, reported as the top issue, was this low was in April 2020. 59% of small business owners reported that supply chain disruptions affected their business to some extent, a decrease of 3 points from January.
2026-03-10
US Small Business Optimism Falls in January
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index in the US fell to 99.3 in January 2026 from 99.5 in December 2025, compared to forecasts of 99.9. 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 to a net 16%. In addition, 16% of small business owners cited labor quality as their single most important problem, down 3 points from December. Also, 13% reported the cost or availability of insurance as their single most important problem, up 4 points. The last time insurance reached this percentage was December 2018. 60% reported capital outlays in the last six months, up 4 points from December and the highest level since November 2023. "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", according to NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg.
2026-02-10
NFIB Small Business Optimism Edges Higher
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose for a second consecutive month, reaching 99.5 in December 2025, its highest level since August and in line with market expectations. The index remains above its 52-year average of 98, supported primarily by a rise in owners expecting better business conditions, which jumped 9 points to a net 24%. Reports of positive profit trends also improved slightly, rising 3 points from November to a net negative 20%. When evaluating the overall health of their businesses, 9% of owners rated it excellent (down 2 points), 54% rated it good (up 1 point), 34% rated it fair (up 4 points), and 3% rated it poor (down 2 points). However, plans for hiring, capital outlays, and expectations for higher real sales all declined. Taxes were cited as the most important problem by 20% of small business owners, up 6 points from November and the highest reading since May 2021. Meanwhile, the Uncertainty Index fell 7 points to 84, marking its lowest level since June 2024.
2026-01-13