LIVINGSON, NJ – 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 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
These investments reflect a continued focus on innovation, operational efficiency, and long-term workforce strength.
In New Jersey, employers report the same top concerns reflected in the national results. Sixty-seven percent cited cybersecurity as their most significant long-term challenge, followed by political uncertainty at 48 percent and the rising cost of employee benefits at 47 percent. Employers in the state also continue to struggle with recruiting professional and skilled production workers, consistent with national trends.
“The national results track closely with what we are hearing from New Jersey employers,” according to Christine Myers, President of the Employers Association of New Jersey. “Cybersecurity, political uncertainly and benefit costs are shaping planning discussions across the state, while New Jersey keeps a watchful eye on the direction Governor elect Sherrill will take.”
“Regardless of local or national challenges, businesses need practical solutions to help them stay competitive,” added Myers. “EANJ remains focused on providing expert guidance, tailored training, individualized services, compliance support, and advocacy critical to ensure our employers are successful.”
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
For a copy of the full report of the 2026 National Business Trends Survey, click here.
About Employers Association of New Jersey (EANJ)
EANJ is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to helping employers make sound and informed workforce decisions. For over 100 years, EANJ has supported businesses with expert HR guidance, legal compliance updates, and employer advocacy.
About Employer Associations of America (EAA)
EAA consists of 22 regional employer associations serving 35,000 companies and more than six million employees. Regional employer associations are dedicated to serving their members as trusted partners that help members maximize the performance of their employees and their organization through business expertise in compliance, recruitment, retention, surveys, safety, training, and organization development.