NFIB Weekly News
Leading the News
NFIB Joins Coalition Urging Treasury to Issue Final BOI Rule, Destroy Previously Collected Data (01/20/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 20, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, joined more than 100 trade associations in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent calling for an immediate purge of the Corporate Transparency Act’s (CTA) Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) database of all U.S. businesses that already filed and for the quick promulgation of the final rule exempting U.S. businesses from the burdensome reporting requirements.
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NFIB to Congress: Advance Small Business Priorities in 2026 (01/06/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 6, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, released its “Small Business Legislative Priorities for 2026” which highlights input from NFIB small business members and reflects the top small business legislative priorities for the remainder of the 119th Congress.
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Small Businesses Support Legislation to Implement Bipartisan Permitting Reform (12/17/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 17, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, announced strong support for H.R. 4776, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act. NFIB sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives in support of the legislation and urges swift passage to help reduce red tape, permitting burdens, and energy costs for small businesses.
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Small Business Amicus Brief Questions Tax Foreclosure Procedures (12/08/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 8, 2025) – NFIB filed an amicus brief in the case Michael Pung v. Isabella County, Michigan at the United States Supreme Court. The case concerns the just compensation of property owners when the government seizes and sells that property to satisfy a tax debt. NFIB joined several business groups in filing the brief, which asks the Court to provide clear direction that will ensure that property owners are justly compensated for the value of their property.
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ICYMI: Iowa Small Business Owner Testifies Before U.S. Senate HELP Committee (12/04/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 4, 2025) – Marcie Strouse, Iowa Small Business Owner and member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) at a hearing titled, “Making Health Care Affordable Again: Healing a Broken System.” Strouse offered solutions on how Congress can address the health insurance affordability crisis to provide relief for small business owners and improve the well-being of millions of American workers and their families.
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Small Businesses Support Legislation to Prevent Unworkable Proposed Heat Standard (11/21/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 21, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, sent a letter to Rep. Mark Messmer in support of his legislation, the Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2025. This proposal would prevent the Biden Administration’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Heat Standard from being finalized and would prevent a future administration from undertaking a similar rulemaking.
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Business Climate
Progress Continues to Lower Credit Card Swipe Fees (01/20/2026)
Credit card costs have more than doubled since 2012. More transactions than ever before use credit cards, which adds a 2-3% fee per swipe. This amounts to tens of thousands of dollars per year that small business owners are forced to pay credit card processing companies to operate their business.
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NEW NFIB SURVEY: Small Business Optimism Continues to Rise (01/13/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 13, 2026) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 0.5 points in December to 99.5 and remained above its 52-year average of 98. Of the 10 Optimism Index components, two increased, three decreased, and five were unchanged. An increase in those expecting better business conditions primarily drove the rise in the Optimism Index. The Uncertainty Index fell 7 points from November to 84, the lowest reading since June 2024.
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The Small Business Rundown covers critical tax changes in recent legislation (01/05/2026)
A new tax law allows workers to make significant tax deductions, including up to $12,500 per year for qualified overtime compensation ($25,000 for joint filers) and up to $25,000 per year in tips deductions. While these tax deductions are employee-driven, small business employers do have a reporting requirement on W2 forms for workers to realize these deductions.
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New NFIB Survey Shows Industry-Specific Optimism Trends (11/25/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 25, 2025) – The NFIB Research Center released an industry-specific quarterly Small Business Economic Trends survey highlighting the construction, manufacturing, retail, and services industries. According to the report, the Optimism Index fell from the previous quarter for all reported industries except for construction.
“Small business optimism fell in all reported industries except for construction, which was the most optimistic out of the four industries due to higher sales expectations and hiring plans,” said Holly Wade, Executive Director of NFIB’s Research Center. “Despite the diverging trends in optimism among industry sectors, 63% of small business owners rated the health of their business as excellent or good.”
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NEW NFIB SURVEY: Small Business Optimism Takes a Small Step Back as Uncertainty Eases in October (11/11/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 11, 2025) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index declined 0.6 points in October to 98.2 but remained above its 52-year average of 98. The Uncertainty Index fell 12 points from September to 88, the lowest reading of this year.
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NEW NFIB SURVEY: Small Business Optimism Declines in September (10/14/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct.14, 2025) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index declined 2.0 points in September to 98.8. This was the first decline in three months, though it remains above the survey’s 52-year average of 98. The Uncertainty Index rose 7 points from August to 100, the fourth-highest reading in over 51 years.
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Wages and Benefits
NFIB Jobs Report: Owners Report Mixed Employment Conditions (01/08/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 8, 2026) – NFIB’s December jobs report found that 33% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in December, unchanged from November. Unfilled job openings remain above the historical average of 24%. Twenty-eight percent have openings for skilled workers (up 2 points), and 10% have openings for unskilled labor (down 2 points).
“The economic climate continues to support the small business labor market,” said Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Although employment conditions vary, fewer owners report labor as their biggest challenge while compensation pressures are escalating.”
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NFIB Jobs Report: Owners Continue Searching for Qualified Applicants (12/04/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 4, 2025) – NFIB’s November jobs report found that 33% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in November, up 1 point from October and the first increase since June. Unfilled job openings remain above the historical average of 24%. Twenty-six percent have openings for skilled workers (down 2 points), and 12% have openings for unskilled labor (up 1 point).
“The economy has continued to grow steadily despite the recent government shutdown,” said Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “On Main Street, job growth continues to be constrained by a lack of qualified employees.”
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NFIB Jobs Report: Job Openings Slowing But Remain Solid (11/06/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 6, 2025) – NFIB’s October jobs report found that 32% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in October, unchanged for the second consecutive month. Before August, the last time unfilled job openings hit 32% was in December 2020. Twenty-eight percent have openings for skilled workers (unchanged from September), and 11% have openings for unskilled labor (down 2 points).
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Labor Issues, Unemployment Insurance Impacts Small Business (10/20/2025)
Finding and retaining qualified workers in a tight labor market is a significant challenge millions of small businesses across the country face. Tyler Dever, NFIB Principal of Federal Government Relations, tackles the layers of labor disputes, unemployment insurance for striking workers, and how Congress can take action to foster growth for America’s small businesses in an opinion-editorial for The Center Square.
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E-Verify for Small Businesses: Tips and Tools for Verifying Employment Eligibility (09/09/2025)
E-Verify is a free, online system that lets employers electronically verify the employment eligibility of new hires and ensure compliance with federal immigration laws. It works alongside Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to confirm a person’s identity and employment authorization. By comparing information from Form I-9 with records from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), E-Verify helps ensure a legal workforce, protects American jobs, and prevents identity theft and fraud in hiring.
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Job openings were the highest in construction, manufacturing, and transportation (09/04/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 4, 2025) – NFIB’s August jobs report found that 32% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in August, down 1 point from July. The last time unfilled job openings fell below 32% was in July 2020. Twenty-eight percent have openings for skilled workers (down 1 point), and 13% have openings for unskilled labor (up 1 point).
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