Nine in 10 small business leaders now doubt their company will survive, midyear survey finds

Small businesses bearing the brunt

The drop in confidence is far steeper among smaller companies. Ninety percent (90%) of executives at businesses with 10 to 49 employees said they are more concerned following this year’s events, a 21 percentage point jump from where they stood at the start of 2026. That compares with 69% of executives at companies with more than 1,000 employees, a meaningful gap that points to smaller firms having less financial cushion to absorb shocks.