NJBIA released its 67th annual Business Outlook Survey on Dec. 2. While much of the attention of the survey focused on 2025 energy cost increases and tariff impacts, there were many other facets of the survey.
Today, we look deeper at the economic outlooks for New Jersey and the nation in 2026.
Economic Outlooks
The opinions and the outlooks of New Jersey’s economy is more challenged this year.
Only 23% described the state’s economy as good, while 52% called it fair and 25% listed it as poor. Less than 1% called it excellent.
Only 16% felt New Jersey’s economy would be substantially or moderately better in the first six months of 2026. A year ago, that positive look-ahead number was 23%.
A combined 41% said New Jersey’s economy will be moderately or substantially worse in the first six months of 2026.
The rating of the national economy was mixed: 39% described it as good, while 42% listed it as fair.
Looking ahead, 34% said they believed the US economy would perform moderately worse (25%) or substantially worse (9%) in the first six months of 2026. Forty percent rated the recent economic performance in their particular industry as good, while 42% called it fair.
Results were nearly identical in how respondents measured the 2026 outlook in their industry, with 29% claiming it will be substantially or moderately better and 30% stating it will moderately or substantially worse.
