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Geopolitical risk pushes more US small business leaders to doubt future
In Sentry's midyear survey, 90% of executives at firms with 10 to 49 employees said they are more concerned than in January, versus 69% at companies with more than 1,000 employees.
Confidence among US business leaders deteriorated sharply since the start of 2026, with 82% of executives saying they are more concerned about their company’s future now than they were in January, according to Insurance Business, citing Sentry’s 2026 C-Suite Stress Index: Midyear Report.
Sentry said shifting trade policy, geopolitical instability, and operational disruption have changed how executives approach long-term planning and risk management, with 98% of those surveyed saying events in the first half of the year have altered their long-range outlook.
The decline in sentiment was steeper for smaller companies. Insurance Business reports that 90% of executives at businesses with 10 to 49 employees said they are more concerned following this year’s developments, a 21 percentage point jump from January, compared with 69% at firms with more than 1,000 employees.
Sentry also found that small business leaders were more likely to report concrete fallout and that concerns increased for specific areas, including supply chain and logistics disruption rising to 62%, tariff and trade uncertainty reaching 52%, and labor shortage worries climbing to 49%.