Press Release: The Survey Says: NoVA Business Leaders Are Nervous About Regional Economy
Federal policies on tariffs, government spending, and layoffs lead many local CEOs and business owners to consider job and capital investment cuts
Loudoun County, VA — A confidential survey of nearly 300 Northern Virginia CEOs, senior executives, and business owners showed that local business leaders are pessimistic about the regional economy in 2025 and are deciding to decrease spending on workforce and capital investments.
Most of those same respondents said that the cause for their economic pessimism are the various policy decisions made by the Trump Administration, including tariffs on trade, government spending cuts, and Federal worker layoffs.
The Loudoun Chamber and 10 other regional chambers partnered on the 2025 Q2 Business Leader Survey, which was conducted by the public relations firm Pinkston. The results will be shared with elected officials across our region.
“Regional business leaders are nervous, and their anxiety is caused by efforts to reduce Federal spending on workforce, programs, and contracts. As state and local officials develop plans to mitigate the impacts on Virginia’s workers and businesses, we expect them to involve the regional business community in their solutions,” said Loudoun Chamber President Tony Howard
The survey results show that 6 in 10 regional business leaders are pessimistic about the region’s economic growth over the next six months, and anticipate capital expenditures and hiring to decline for the rest of 2025.
Top insights from the survey include:
- 59% of business leaders anticipate a decline in Northern Virginia’s economy over the next six months.
- 54% remain optimistic about their company’s performance, down from the 81% reported in a Q1 survey.
- 12% of business leaders foresee increasing hiring, while 18% expect to reduce headcount.
- 43% of business leaders expect their company’s capital spending to decrease in 2025.
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