Report
Published February 22, 2022
Commercial Commercial Insights Credit & Economic TrendsThe fourth quarter of 2021 enhanced the pressure felt by small businesses as the largest wave of COVID-19 hit the US. In addition to the effects of pandemic outbreak of labor and consumer engagement, an inflationary surge, largest increase since 1982, coupled with pandemic-related supply-and-demand imbalances, weighed heavily on US small businesses along with a notable impact to consumer sentiment.
Although workers were getting raises in the currently tight job market, rapid price increases are eroding consumers' earning power. Average wage earnings went up by 4.0% in Q4 '21 vs. the previous year, yet a 7.5% increase in inflation results in a net decline in real earnings. Workers' money is not going as far as it used to. Rising wages, however, put pressure on businesses' payrolls who may be forced to pass those costs to consumers.
Complete the form to access the report
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Thank you for your interest
Your free Experian resource is now available. Enjoy!
Report
2026 State of fintech report
Read the latest State of Fintech Report to see strategy playbook fintechs are implementing in 2026 and beyond. Key insights include:
- How fintech leaders are balancing growth, fraud risk and portfolio performance
- Why data strategy is becoming a competitive advantage in credit decisioning
- How identity, credit and behavioral signals are enabling smarter lifecycle decisions
- Practical actions fintech organizations can take to grow with confidence in 2026
Infographic
Commercial and small business lending, optimized
A concise guide to simplifying business credit modeling with automation. Learn how microservices streamline validation, testing, and analysis to help relationship managers, credit analysts, and adjudicators reduce manual effort, improve risk visibility, and make faster, more confident lending decisions.
Report
Q2 2026 Lending Conditions Chartbook
Understand the economic and consumer trends shaping today's lending environment.
- U.S. economic outlook and market conditions
- Consumer credit demand and financial stress trends
- Lending performance across major credit products
- Key indicators to inform lending and portfolio strategies
Webinar
2026 Credit Card Trends
Credit card performance remains a key indicator of consumer financial health. Join Experian experts as they explore the latest credit card trends shaping 2026.
- Credit card balances, utilization, and payment behavior
- Delinquency and risk trends across consumer segments
- What lenders and businesses should watch in 2026