For nearly a decade, the Small Business Index has helped business owners, policymakers, economists, and journalists understand the health and outlook of America's small business community.
This quarter, a new chapter begins. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Justworks are partnering on the Justworks and U.S. Chamber Small Business Index, bringing together trusted research, deep small business expertise, and real-world perspectives to better understand the challenges and opportunities shaping the small business economy.
Since its launch in 2017, the Small Business Index has become one of the nation's most trusted and consistent measures of small business confidence. Quarter after quarter, it has tracked how small businesses are performing, hiring, investing, and planning for the future, offering a unique look at the realities facing America's entrepreneurs.
Building on a Strong Foundation
The Index was created with a simple goal: provide a clearer understanding of what small businesses are experiencing and what they need to succeed.
Over the years, it has become a valuable resource for business leaders, elected officials, researchers, local chambers, and media organizations looking beyond headlines to understand the real-world conditions affecting small businesses across the country.
Its findings have informed national conversations around inflation, workforce shortages, access to capital, hiring challenges, economic confidence, and business growth. More importantly, it has provided small business owners themselves with valuable benchmarking data to see how their experiences compare with those of their peers.
As the small business landscape continues to evolve, the need for reliable, actionable insights has only grown.
Combining Trusted Research with Practical Business Perspective
Justworks has spent more than 14 years helping small businesses navigate the complexities of hiring, benefits, compliance, and growth. The company serves more than 15,000 small business customers, bringing firsthand perspective into the workforce and operational decisions owners make every day.
That practical experience makes Justworks a natural partner for the next phase of the Index.
"The Small Business Index gives small businesses a clear view into how their peers are approaching major business challenges like hiring, benefits, and growth," said Mike Seckler, CEO of Justworks. "Justworks helps small businesses grow with confidence, and partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to bring actionable insights from the Index to more small businesses is extremely valuable to our current and future customers. We're proud to partner with the Chamber on this work, and we can't wait to see the impact on small businesses."
Together, Justworks and the U.S. Chamber will continue delivering the trusted research stakeholders have relied on for years while adding new perspectives that help translate data into practical business insights.
Understanding What Small Businesses Need to Succeed
Small businesses are responsible for creating jobs, driving innovation, and strengthening communities across the country. Yet many owners still lack access to reliable information about how their peers are navigating common challenges, from attracting talent and offering employee benefits to making investments and planning for growth.
The Justworks and U.S. Chamber Small Business Index helps fill that gap.
By combining rigorous research with practical business context, the Index will continue providing decision-makers with a deeper understanding of what is happening across the small business economy and what trends may be emerging before they show up in broader economic indicators.
"Small businesses drive innovation, create opportunity, and strengthen communities across the country," said Suzanne Clark, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Our partnership with Justworks will build on the Small Business Index as a trusted source of insight, helping business owners, policymakers, and industry leaders better understand the conditions facing small businesses and what they need to succeed."
Continuing a Legacy of Trusted Small Business Research
The first quarterly edition of the Justworks and U.S. Chamber Small Business Index will be released later this month and will provide new insights into small business optimism, employee benefits, hiring, growth, and economic uncertainty. The research will also explore a notable increase in the share of small businesses offering key employee benefits, including health insurance.
While the partnership is new, the mission remains the same: helping America better understand the people and small businesses that power our economy.
The Justworks and U.S. Chamber Small Business Index will continue serving as a trusted source of insight into the confidence, challenges, and opportunities shaping small business in America, now with even greater perspective and reach.
