NFIB Weekly News
Leading the News
NFIB’s 2025 Fly-In included a session with top White House Economist Kevin Hassett (06/23/2025)
Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council, and Holly Wade, Executive Director of the NFIB Research Center connected with NFIB members and small business owners to discuss the state of the economy and key issues facing small businesses at NFIB’s annual Fly-In, in Washington, D.C.
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Quarterly survey focuses on the construction, manufacturing, retail, and services industries (05/27/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 27, 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 across the four reported industries decreased from the previous quarter. Despite this decline, optimism in the construction, manufacturing, and services industries was higher than that of the overall business community in April. In fact, the indices for each sector, excluding retail, remain above the overall Optimism Index 51-year average of 98. Optimism among small retailers landed significantly lower than the other three highlighted industries.
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NFIB Applauds U.S. Senate Passage of Resolution Rescinding California’s Ability to Dictate Nationwide Vehicle Regulations (05/27/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 27, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, applauds the passage of H.J. Res. 88. NFIB sent a letter to the U.S. Senate in support of the resolution, which if enacted will rescind the federal waiver granted to California to implement more stringent vehicle emissions standards and require that 100% of new passenger vehicle sales be zero-emissions by 2035. A vote in favor of H.J. Res. 88 was considered an NFIB Key Vote in the 119th Congress.
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Small businesses support one of the most pro-small business pieces of legislation in recent history (05/21/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 21, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, announced the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will be an NFIB Key Vote for the 119th Congress. NFIB sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives urging a vote in favor of the legislation and expressing strong support for its historic pro-Main Street policies.
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NFIB Releases New TV Ads Backing 20% Small Business Tax Deduction Ahead of Key Congressional Action (05/12/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 12, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, released new TV ads today urging Congress to prioritize making the expiring 20% Small Business Tax Deduction permanent and prevent a massive tax hike on 9 out of 10 small businesses. The TV ads are a continuation of NFIB’s multi-year campaign to make the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction permanent.
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Department of Labor’s 2024 final rule complicated independent contractor classification for small businesses (05/06/2025)
“The DOL’s 2024 rule intensified the stress and confusion of the classification process for small business owners and independent contractors,” said Beth Milito, Vice President and Executive Director of NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center. “NFIB is pleased that the DOL will not be using the 2024 rule in their enforcement efforts, and will instead rely on a standard that provides small business owners and independent contractors the clarity they need and deserve.”
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Business Climate
Small Business Optimism Above Average in May (06/18/2025)
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose above the 51-year average in May with better expected business conditions and sales as the greatest contributors to the increase. The Uncertainty Index also increased two points from April to 94. Taxes remain the chief concern for small business owners, with 18% ranking it as their biggest problem.
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Webinar Provides Tips to Decide if You Should Switch to an S Corp (06/16/2025)
NFIB’s latest webinar pulls back the curtain on the potential benefits of switching your LLC to an S Corp. Watch as Jamie Trull, CPA and financial educator highlights key indicators to help your small business save on taxes.
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NFIB launched an interactive map and tax calculator (06/04/2025)
What it means: Two new digital tools are available on NFIB’s website to provide real data on what will happen if the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction expires. Check out the new interactive map and tax calculator to see what losing the deduction would mean for your small business and local economy.
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NFIB supports small business in four new legal cases (06/03/2025)
The NFIB Small Business Legal Center is involved in numerous cases involving independent contractor classifications, nationwide injunctions, workplace bargaining agreements, and the enforceability of website terms and conditions.
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NEW NFIB SURVEY: Small Business Optimism Declines in April (05/13/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 13, 2025) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index declined by 1.6 points in April to 95.8, the second consecutive month below the 51-year average of 98. The Uncertainty Index decreased four points from March to 92 but remained far above the historical average of 68. Seasonally adjusted, 34% of business owners reported job openings they could not fill in April, down six points from March. The last time job openings were below this level was in January 2021.
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The Optimism Index declined by 3.3 points in March, falling just below the 51-year average of 98 (04/16/2025)
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell just below the 51-year average in March and taxes ranked as one of the single most important problems facing small business owners. The Uncertainty Index decreased eight points from February’s second highest reading to 96.
“The implementation of new policy priorities has heightened the level of uncertainty among small business owners over the past few months,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Small business owners have scaled back expectations on sales growth as they better understand how these rearrangements might impact them.”
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Small Business Marketing
Expert Criticizes Email For Customer Communication, Says Texting Is Superior (04/19/2022)
In a USA Today (4/14, Deerwester) column, lawyer, speaker, and author Steve Strauss wrote that “email is actually a fairly horrible way for business generally, and small business, in particular, to communicate with customers. Unopened and unwanted, ignored and abandoned, emails simply don’t get through anymore.” Strauss went on to argue that texting is superior to emailing.
Marketing Challenges Facing Small Business Owners Highlighted (04/19/2022)
Startup. Info (4/15) highlighted marketing challenges small business owners find themselves confronted with as well as how to deal with said challenges. One of these challenges is content distribution, with Startup. Info saying that content distribution “entails the practice of spreading your content far and wide. But we must state that it’s also a very challenging aspect of marketing.” With regard to how to deal with this challenge, Startup. Info says, in part, “Have a detailed content calendar that shows when, where, and how you spread your content.”
Tips Offered For Small Business To Craft Effective Brand Experience (04/19/2022)
Small Business Trends (4/9, Pilon) provided “10 tips for creating an effective small business brand experience.” Among the areas small business owners should consider are creating an appealing logo, crafting a brand voice, and improving website design.
Commentary: QR Codes Can Help Business Owners “Bridge The Gap” Between Traditional, Digital Marketing (04/12/2022)
Michael Plummer, Jr., president of “premier New Mover Marketing franchise” Our Town America, wrote in Forbes (3/30, Plummer) that businesses should “bridge the gap between traditional and digital marketing by learning how to use QR codes as part of your print marketing strategy.” Plummer wrote, “Using QR codes in your marketing materials can help your business connect with customers and drive traffic to your website,” as well as help build an email database to “stay in touch with your loyal customers” and boost customer feedback.
SBA’s National Small Business Week Set For May 1-7 (04/05/2022)
The Lower Bucks (NJ) Times (3/28) said the Small Business Administration’s “National Small Business Week: Building a Better America Through Entrepreneurship is set for May 1-7.” SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman said the virtual event “celebrates the resiliency and tenacity of America’s entrepreneurs who are doing their part to power our nation’s historic economic comeback.”
Small Businesses Advised To Shift Social Media Strategy To Cope With Instagram Priority Change (04/05/2022)
Insider (3/28, York) reported that in late 2021, Instagram “announced a shift to prioritizing video-focused content over photo-focused content,” and “small businesses and creators [said] that the frequent updates and changes make it difficult to grow their accounts, especially those rooted in photo content.” Social media coach Kar Brulhart “add[ed] that Instagram’s algorithm is prioritizing video and reels to compete with YouTube and TikTok,” and advised entrepreneurs to “create stop-motion reels to showcase their products in various frames or film clips to compile into a montage.” Amanda Teo, a director of marketing at the sustainable-packaging company Noissue, “add[ed] that video content produced in-house shouldn’t feel overly produced,” and was quoted saying, “We’ve tested more-produced videos versus more-authentic videos, and the authentic videos that look like you just filmed it off your phone with minimal editing performed really well.”
Wages and Benefits
NFIB Jobs Report: Labor Shortages Continue to Constrain Small Business Job Growth (05/01/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 1, 2025) – NFIB’s April jobs report found that 34% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in April, down six points from March, the lowest since January 2021.
“Small business owners remained open to hire and grow their workforce in April,” said Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “While the percent of open positions decreased a bit, Main Street firms are still struggling to find qualified applicants for their plentiful open positions.”
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Health Care: Small Business Pays More, Gets Less (04/16/2025)
What it means: Affordable health care is essential for the success of America’s small businesses. Small business owner Marcie Strouse shared with lawmakers the various ways Congress can provide relief from rising costs.
Our take: “Small businesses are paying more and getting less. Small firms pay nearly twice as much for health insurance as large businesses. Unlike large corporations, small businesses lack the bargaining power to negotiate lower premiums,” said Josselin Castillo, NFIB Principal Federal Government Relations.
Take Action: It is time for Congress to provide immediate relief for millions of Americans. Urge your elected officials to make health care more accessible and affordable to small business owners.
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Small Businesses Support Legislation to Restart the PAID Program (03/26/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 26, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, sent a letter to Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI-06) in strong support of his legislation, the Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act. This legislation would reinstate and codify the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program, which provided small businesses flexibility to self-report and correct minor wage and hour violations before incurring a penalty.
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NFIB Jobs Report: Small Business Job Creation Weakens in February (03/06/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 6, 2025) – NFIB’s February jobs report found that 38% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in February, up three points from January and the highest reading since August 2024. A seasonally adjusted net 15% of owners plan to create new jobs in the next three months, down three points from January.
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NFIB report reveals a growing health insurance affordability crisis for small business owners and employers (02/19/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 19, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, released a new health care policy paper entitled, “Addressing the Health Insurance Affordability Crisis for Small Businesses.” The findings reveal a dire prognosis for the small-group insurance market as employer-provided health coverage is becoming unsustainable for millions of small businesses and their employees. The report also highlights the top legislative solutions Congress should enact to provide relief for small businesses.
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NFIB Jobs Report: Main Street Labor Costs Ease in December (01/09/2025)
Fewer small businesses plan to raise compensation in the coming months
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 9, 2025) – NFIB’s December jobs report found that 35% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in December, down one point from November. Seasonally adjusted, a net 29% of small business owners reported raising compensation in December, down three points from November and the lowest reading since March 2021.
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