NFIB Weekly News
Leading the News
Small Businesses File Lawsuit Challenging DOL’s Independent Contractor Rule (03/05/2024)
BEAUMONT, Texas (March 5, 2024) – NFIB joined a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas concerning the Department of Labor’s (DOL) independent contractor rule. The case is Coalition for Workforce Innovation, et al. v. Julie Su.
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Small Businesses Ask Supreme Court to Clarify NLRB’s Injunction Standard (02/28/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 28, 2024) – NFIB filed an amicus brief in the case Starbucks Corporation v. M. Kathleen McKinney at the United States Supreme Court. The case concerns the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) requests for injunctions under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) using the traditional four-factor test for preliminary injunctions or a more lenient standard. NFIB filed the brief with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.
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Small businesses urge Congress to reject Julie Su’s nomination (02/27/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 27, 2024) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, sent a letter of opposition to members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions opposing the nomination of Acting Secretary Julie Su for Secretary of Labor.
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Small Business Owners Alarmed at Foreign-Influenced Antitrust Proposals (02/26/2024)
SAINT PAUL (Feb. 26, 2024) – Small business owners are responding to a suite of proposals that would fundamentally alter antitrust law in Minnesota. The Minnesota Attorney General and lawmakers held a press conference today at 10:30 am to push a trio of bills.
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Small Business Owners Expectations for Higher Sales Declined in January (02/13/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 13, 2024) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index decreased two points in January to 89.9, marking the 25th consecutive month below the 50-year average of 98. The net percent of owners who expect real sales to be higher declined 12 points from December to a net negative 16% (seasonally adjusted), a very negative shift in expectations.
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NFIB Disputes New NLRB Ballot Election Standard at Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (02/09/2024)
NFIB filed an amicus brief in the case Cemex Construction Materials Pacific, LLC, v. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The case concerns a new NLRB framework for union representation elections.
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Business Climate
Small Businesses Challenge OSHA’s Safety Standards in Latest Brief (03/01/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 1, 2024) – NFIB filed an amicus brief in the case Allstates Refractory Contractors, LLC, v. Julie Su at the United States Supreme Court. The case questions whether Congress’s delegation of authority in the Occupational Safety and Health Act to write “reasonably necessary or appropriate” standards for a “safe” workplace violates the Constitution. NFIB argues OSHA’s statutory power to issue those safety standards is unconstitutional.
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NFIB highlights top legislative priorities for small businesses in 2024 (02/21/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 21, 2024) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, released its “Top 10 Policy Priorities for 2024.” From burdensome reporting requirements to detrimental tax hikes, this list outlines the key legislative issues that will impact small businesses nationwide in the coming year.
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Small Business Coalition Urges Congress to Reduce Red Tape (02/02/2024)
“Small businesses continue to be disproportionately impacted by federal regulations. Now is the time for Congress to address the loopholes that enable federal agencies to underreport, minimize, or ignore the impact of regulations on small businesses,” said NFIB Director of Government Relations Josh McLeod. “On behalf of small businesses across the country, NFIB urges Congress to prioritize legislation that reinforces the intent of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) and encourages an environment where Main Street businesses can grow and thrive.”
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NFIB's Holly Wade Discusses Small Business Optimism on Yahoo! Finance (01/29/2024)
Wade shares data from NFIB’s December SBET survey as she highlights how inflationary pressures, the ongoing labor shortage, and increasing financing costs are impacting small businesses nationwide.
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Inflation Returns as Top Business Problem on Main Street (01/09/2024)
Twenty-three percent of small business owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in operating their business, up one point from last month, and replacing labor quality as the top concern.
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Small Business Owners Pessimistic About Future Business Conditions (12/12/2023)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 12, 2023) – NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index decreased 0.1 point in November to 90.6, which marks the 23rd consecutive month below the 50-year average of 98. Twenty-two percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in operating their business, unchanged from October but 10 points lower than this time last year.
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Wages and Benefits
NFIB Jobs Report: Small Business Employment Slows (03/07/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 7, 2024) – According to NFIB’s monthly jobs report, 37% (seasonally adjusted) of all owners reported jobs openings they could not fill in the current period, down two points from January and the lowest reading since January 2021. The percent of small business owners reporting labor quality as their top small business operating problem declined five points from January to 16%, the lowest reading since April 2020.
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Increasing access to affordable child care is a huge piece of the workforce puzzle. (02/08/2024)
Small Business Owners Urge Missouri Lawmakers to Bolster Workforce, Increase Access to Affordable Child Care
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NFIB Jobs Report: Labor Quality Remains Top Concern for Small Business Owners (01/04/2024)
The percent of small business owners reporting labor quality as their top small business operating problem remains elevated at 20%, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report.
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NFIB Jobs Report: Tight Labor Market Continues to Hinder Main Street (11/02/2023)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 2, 2023) – In October, 43% (seasonally adjusted) of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. The percent of small business owners reporting labor quality as their top small business operating problem remains elevated at 23%.
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HSA Expansion Legislation Benefits Small Businesses (09/28/2023)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 28, 2023) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, issued the following statement regarding the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee legislation on expanding Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
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NFIB Jobs Report: Small Business Owners Look to Raise Compensation in Coming Months (08/31/2023)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 31, 2023) – According to NFIB’s monthly jobs report, 40% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, down two points from last month and the lowest level since February 2021. Seasonally adjusted, a net 36% of owners reported raising compensation in August, tying June’s reading, and marking the lowest reading since May 2021. A net 26% of owners plan to raise compensation in the next three months, up five points from July.
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