Census data: demand fell in a typical two weeks for 24.4% of firms with 1 to 4 employees and 11.1% at 250 or more. Six months out, the smallest are split.
Outside advisers' cost ranks 23rd of 75 owner problems, up from 34th in 2012. Only 8.5% call it critical. Only 11.0% say it's no problem.
In 2025, construction let go 2.08% of its workers a month while 1.77% quit. Restaurants and hotels: 1.10% let go, 4.23% quit.
Census survey: 50.9% of real estate firms that answered set no business targets, against 32.6% in education. Few firms focus mainly on the long term.
By early 2022, 60.6% of small finance employers said they were back to normal or had seen little effect. Hotels and restaurants: 26.8%.
Fed survey: 42% of firms 0 to 2 years old named credit availability as a challenge, against 17% at 21+ years. Rising costs stood clear from year six on.
Census data, 2024: at firms 11+ years old, 13.2% of settled workers' jobs ended each quarter in food and lodging, 4.9% in finance.
NFIB's 2024 survey: six of the top ten problems match for male- and female-owned firms. Nine of 75 separate on both measures, and big rank gaps often don't.
Census data: 54.7% of firms with 1 to 4 employees expect to pay more in six months, 33.4% expect to charge more. The gap holds at every size.
Census ABS: 49.3% of employer firms never monitor customer satisfaction. In real estate it is 57.9%; in restaurants and hotels, 32.5%.
Census Pulse Survey: small employers with less than a month of cash on hand rose from 31.6% to 34.6% in late 2020. Every size class saw it rise.
Fed SBCS: 60% of online-lender borrowers said cost came in higher than expected, vs 32% at large banks, where the process drew as many complaints.
Census BDS: in the year to March 2023, 17.9% of lost jobs went with a whole business closing, 28.3% in restaurants and hotels. Most went at places that stayed open.
NFIB: health insurance is the top problem in cities and the country alike. Fuel ranks 25th for urban owners and 2nd for rural ones; turnover moves the other way.
BLS JOLTS: the smallest workplaces' openings rate went from 98% of the private-sector rate in 2019 to 114% in 2025. Their hiring rate stayed near 93%.
Census 2023 survey: of employers that hit a service or production problem, 50.0% in health care had a continuous-improvement process. In restaurants, 34.4%.
Census Pulse Survey: small employers expecting to need to hire rose from 23.0% to 40.3%. Needing financing fell to 13.3%.
Fed SBCS 2025: of employers with no AI plans, 56% say it doesn't apply and 13% name cost. Planners name finding the right tool; users, accuracy.
Census BDS, 2013-2022: at one-year-old firms 44.5% of lost jobs went with a firm that closed. At firms 26 or older, 5.9%. The rest went by shrinking.
NFIB: 8 of the top 10 owner problems are shared by all four main customer groups. Card fees rank 14th for public-facing firms and 62nd for owners selling to one or two firms.
BLS JOLTS: a year after the 2009 layoff peak, the smallest workplaces' layoff rate was still 13% above 2007, while every size of 50 or more had fallen below it.
Census 2023 survey: promotions went on performance alone at 68.7% of restaurant and 68.5% of construction employers. In real estate, 48.0%.
Census Pulse Survey: owners saying their business would never return to normal held at 7.4% for a year, then rose to 12.2% by spring 2022.
Fed survey: 55% of employer firms run by owners 65 or older were operating at a profit; 25% planned to hire. Owners 35 to 44: 44% and 52%.
Census data: Florida closed 11.2% of its workplaces in the year to March 2022, the most of any state, and opened 13.9%. High-closure states opened most.
