---
title: "What is the impact of AI on small business performance? Data from the Third District — Marsanne Studio AI watch"
description: "The 2025 SBCS shows 37% AI adoption among Third District SMEs, with productivity gains but little effect on employment."
url: "https://marsanne.studio/en/ai-watch/what-is-the-impact-of-ai-on-small-business-performance-data-from-the-9722d8/"
lang: "en"
---

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Data study · 22 September 2026

# What is the impact of AI on small business performance? Data from the Third District

**Publication**

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (United States)

**Authors**

Theresa Dunne, Adam Scavette

**Published on**

22 September 2026 · read in the publisher's feed

## Summary

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has published results from the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey on AI adoption by small businesses in the Third District (Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania). The adoption rate there reaches 37%, compared with 46% nationally, partly because of a larger manufacturing industry. The main uses are writing and marketing (79%), individual productivity (56%) and planning or analysis (51%). While 71% of firms report productivity gains, more than 70% see no change in labour costs, quality or sales. The article also discusses comparable national data and related research (New York Fed, OpenAI, a survey of 6,000 executives) suggesting still limited effects on employment but expectations of future job losses.

Summary based on the full text of the article.

[Read the article on Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia →](https://www.philadelphiafed.org/community-development/credit-and-capital/how-is-ai-impacting-small-business-performance-evidence-from-the-third-district)

## Figures cited

-   37 %
    
    AI adoption rate among small businesses in the Third District
    
    Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, small businesses, autumn 2025
    
    > « 37 percent of firms in the Third District versus 46 percent in the nation »
    
    Source: Small Business Credit Survey 2025
    
-   46 %
    
    national AI adoption rate among small businesses
    
    United States, small businesses, autumn 2025
    
    > « 37 percent of firms in the Third District versus 46 percent in the nation »
    
    Source: Small Business Credit Survey 2025
    
-   79 %
    
    share of firms using AI for writing or marketing
    
    Third District, AI adopters
    
    > « Nearly 80 percent of Third District firms said they use AI for writing or marketing »
    
    Source: Small Business Credit Survey 2025
    
-   71 %
    
    share of firms reporting an AI-related productivity increase
    
    Third District, AI adopters
    
    > « 71 percent of firms reported AI-related increases in productivity »
    
    Source: Small Business Credit Survey 2025
    
-   79 %
    
    share of firms with no AI-related change in employment (national)
    
    United States, SBCS national sample
    
    > « 79 percent of firms reported no change, 11 percent reported decreases, and 10 percent reported increases »
    
    Source: Small Business Credit Survey 2025
    

## Classification

**Country**

United States

**Company size**

SMEs, Micro-businesses

**Industries**

All industries, or industry not specified

**Companies**

Federal Reserve Bank of New York (cited), Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (study author), OpenAI (cited)

**Keywords**

ai adoption, small businesses, productivity, employment, survey, united states

Entry written by Marsanne Studio from the cited article, with the help of an AI model (claude-sonnet-5). The rights to the article and its illustrations belong to Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and its authors. Entry translated from French by Claude Sonnet 5.5.