2026 National Business Trends Survey Highlights Employer Resilience Amid Economic Concerns

The Employers Associations of America (EAA) has released its 2026 National Business Trends Survey, offering valuable insights into the economic expectations, workforce priorities, and organizational strategies shaping employer decision-making across the country.

The survey, representing insights from 916 organizations nationwide, indicates a more cautious economic outlook. Nationally, 40 percent of executives expect the U.S. economy to decline in 2026, 38 percent believe it will hold steady, and 21 percent expect improvement.

Even with tempered economic expectations, employers remain confident in their own organizational strength. Seventy-six percent of survey respondents predict flat to significantly increasing sales or revenue in 2026.

"Employers are realistic about the broader economic landscape, yet they remain remarkably resilient,” said EAA Board of Directors Chair Kelly Keefe, President and CEO of ERC in Cleveland, Ohio. “Organizations are continuing to invest in their people, strengthen leadership pipelines, and prioritize technology and innovation. This year’s survey highlights the determination of employers to adapt, evolve, and position their organizations for long-term success.”

Employers identified several long-term challenges that will significantly impact their organizations over the next five years:

• Cybersecurity (50 percent)
• Political uncertainty (44 percent)
• Ability to pay benefits costs (41 percent)
• Developing future leaders (40 percent)
• Inflation (38 percent)

These trends reflect the complex landscape organizations are managing as they prepare for the coming year.

Employers continue to experience significant pressure on workforce pipelines. The hardest roles to manage include:

• Most difficult to recruit: Professional staff (non-managers)
• Most difficult to retain: Skilled production workers

To meet these challenges, organizations are strategically:

• Adjusting pay ranges upward
• Providing additional training and development
• Focusing retention efforts on roles where recruitment is difficult

To strengthen business performance and remain competitive, employers report continued or increased investment in:

• New technology (49 percent)
• Equipment (41 percent)
• Artificial intelligence tools and platforms (23 percent)
• Data analytics to support business strategy (22 percent)
• Recruiting efforts (21 percent)

These investments reflect a continued focus on innovation, operational efficiency, and long-term workforce strength.

In addition, the EAA 2026 National Business Trends Survey breaks results out on a local level. In Oregon, respondents identified political uncertainty as the top long-term challenge for businesses (53.5 percent). This was followed by ability to pay for benefits costs (50.7 percent), inflation (46.5 percent), tariffs (40.9 percent), and cost of materials and ability to pay competitive wages/salaries tied in fifth place (38.9 percent). This represents quite a shift in concerns from last year, which featured talent acquisition as the top long-term concern, followed by cybersecurity, talent retention, ability to pay competitive wages/salaries, and developing future leaders.

This year’s Oregon results reflect what we’re hearing every day from employers: uncertainty is high, but commitment to their people remains strong,” says Gayle Gilham, President of Cascade Employers Association. “Our Association is positioned to support organizations with the consulting, training, and HR resources they need to stay competitive and move forward with clarity, even as the landscape changes around us.”

The National Business Survey can provide critical insights for government agencies, policymakers, and employers by offering comprehensive data on business climate, workforce readiness, and economic trends.

By gathering feedback, the survey enables data-driven decision-making, allows for national benchmarking, and helps track economic changes over time.

The survey's diverse participant base, representing a wide range of industries, provides a comprehensive view of the business trends shaping the American economy. This broad perspective offers valuable insights for organizations of all sizes and sectors.

The EAA, a nonprofit national employer association, provides the National Business Trends Survey annually, gathering insights from more than 900 organizations to examine what businesses did in 2025 and what they are planning to do for 2026. The report includes:

• Business Outlook
• Business Investment Plans
• Staffing Plans
• Recruitment/Retention Challenges
• Job Creation Challenges
• Business Improvement Measures
• Pay Strategies
• Business Challenges

This report is available for free to participants. For non-participants, the report can be purchased online here.