Businesses across the globe are growing increasingly concerned over a stagnating economy, rising costs, and political instability, with optimism among the business community falling by more than 1% in the second quarter of 2025.

Each quarter, risk management data analytics firm Dun & Bradstreet tracks overall sentiments for 10,000 businesses across five indices, covering business optimism, supply chain continuity, financial confidence, investment confidence, and ESG policies. In Q2, the firm found that financial confidence among businesses dropped by 23.2% in Q2, while supply chain continuity fell by 8.2%. In the U.S., business optimism dipped by more than 3%, while similar declines were also seen in Mexico (-3.7%), Japan (-2.6%) and South Korea (-11.3%). 

“These findings are a clear reflection of the ongoing pressures businesses are feeling in today’s environment, marked by economic pressures, geopolitical uncertainty and changing consumer expectations,” Dun & Bradstreet managing director Edgar Randall said in a June 2 release.