Experian Main Street Report

Q2 report findings

Q2 2026 showed mixed conditions for small businesses: GDP grew 2.1% and unemployment held at 4.2%, but inflation remained above target, squeezing households as wages lagged. Business formation remained strong (531,000+ new applications in June), and the Experian Small Business Index stayed six points above last year despite a slight dip. Credit quality held overall, though utilization and public records filings rose, signaling stress in some segments. The defining trend: higher-income households kept spending on travel, while lower- and middle-income households leaned more on credit—a K-shaped divide likely to persist through 2026.

About the report

Experian Main Street Report brings deep insight into the overall financial well-being of the small-business landscape, as well as provides commentary on what specific trends mean for credit grantors and the small-business community. Critical factors in the Main Street Report include a combination of business credit data (credit balances, delinquency rates, utilization rates, etc.) and macroeconomic information (employment rates, income, retail sales, industrial production, etc.).