07/21/2026
Remember when every cable news panel was absolutely certain that tariffs and trade uncertainty would turn the American economy into a smoking crater?
Well, someone forgot to tell the 3.5 million people who started new businesses in the first half of 2026.
According to a report from Registered Agents Inc., a business formation service, the United States saw 3,493,381 new business formations in the first six months of the year.
That figure represents a 12% year-over-year increase, with 442,000 more new businesses than the same period in 2025. June alone clocked 548,000 new formations, which actually beat the post-pandemic boom month of June 2021. So apparently the vibes are good out there, despite what your favorite doom-scrolling politicians have been telling you.