U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Index fell to 67.0 in Q1 2026 from 72.0 in Q3 2025, with only 28% of owners viewing the economy as healthy. Iran war–driven gas price spikes are cited as the key factor behind a record 12-point decline in hiring plans and the first quarter without growth in small business technology spend.
War
Small businesses are ‘doing fine.’ That’s a problem for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Iran war energy shocks crater U.S. Chamber Small Business Index from 72.0 to 67.0 in Q1 2026, triggering record 12-point hiring collapse despite consensus that small businesses are "doing fine."
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 12:00 PM UTC2 MIN READSOURCE: Fortune AIBY sys://pipeline
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