NJBIA has published its 67th annual Business Outlook Survey, focusing on expectations for the economy in 2026. The survey, released on December 2, highlights business sentiment regarding both New Jersey’s and the national economic outlook.
According to the survey, only 23% of respondents described New Jersey’s current economy as good. A majority, 52%, called it fair, while 25% rated it as poor. Less than 1% considered the state’s economy excellent.
Looking ahead to the first half of 2026, just 16% of those surveyed expect New Jersey’s economy to be substantially or moderately better. This is a decline from last year when 23% had a positive outlook for the following year. Meanwhile, a combined total of 41% anticipate that the state’s economy will be moderately or substantially worse during this period.
The net outlook for New Jersey’s economy in early 2026 stands at -25%. By comparison, last year’s survey showed a net outlook of -3% for the first half of 2025.
For the national economy, responses were more mixed: 39% described it as good and 42% said it was fair. When asked about expectations for the US economy in early 2026, 34% believed it would perform moderately or substantially worse.
In terms of their own industries, respondents reported similar sentiments. Forty percent rated recent industry performance as good and another 42% said it was fair. For their industry’s prospects in early 2026, results were nearly split: 29% expected conditions to improve moderately or substantially while 30% predicted they would worsen.
The survey also noted that much attention was given to anticipated increases in energy costs and tariff impacts for businesses in New Jersey next year.
