The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index in the United States edged down slightly in October 2026, dipping to 97.8 from 97.9 in September 2026. The latest reading, updated on 10 November 2026, indicates that sentiment among small business owners was broadly stable, with only a marginal loss of confidence month over month.
While the decline is minimal, the near-flat movement of the index suggests that small firms are maintaining a cautious stance. The reading around the 98 level points to an environment where small businesses are neither markedly improving nor deteriorating in their overall outlook, as they continue to navigate existing economic conditions into the final quarter of the year.
