Oshkosh area CEOs and business owners are confident heading into 2026.
The results of the Oshkosh Chamber’s Annual Business Outlook Survey, a barometer used by the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce gauge the degree of confidence of business leaders, indicated there is a growing degree of optimism among local CEOs and business owners, with 82% of the participating CEOs rating their company’s outlook as good to excellent in the next 6 months, 92% rate the next 12 months as good to excellent and 94% rate their outlook as good to excellent in the next 1 – 3 years.
Of the local CEOs and business owners participating in our annual Business Outlook Survey, 65 percent reported that sales increased in 2025 over the previous year, 74 percent indicated that profits were up, and 80 percent increased wages. This past year, 35 percent of reporting companies added staff to their payrolls, while 50 percent said it remained the same, very similar to the previous year’s results. In 2025, 63 percent of the respondents indicated that their companies met or exceeded profitability expectations, down from 72% in 2024.
Those companies missing the mark on profitability expectations cited higher operating costs, a slowdown in the economy, and rising raw materials costs as the most significant factors, followed y a sales shortfall, government regulation, increased energy costs, and a lack of employees as the biggest causes.
This past year, employment remained strong. According to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (November 2025), the unemployment rate for Oshkosh remains below the national unemployment rate of 4.3 percent at 2.5 percent. Oshkosh-based businesses employment levels remain very high, and competition for workers remains strong. With a slight decline in the labor force due to demographics, 34,311 city residents are working this year, down slightly from 34,957 last year.
In 2025, Oshkosh experienced investment in commercial and industrial property of $50.4 million, up considerably from $30 million in 2024. In addition, Oshkosh saw new residential construction of $25 million in 2025, up from $11 million in 2024.
Oshkosh continued to experience exceptional commercial growth, especially along the Oshkosh Avenue and frontage road corridors with new hotels, restaurants, and office space. Our industrial ector continued to see numerous expansions, and new multi-family housing growth is booming, with over 1,000 units currently under construction or announced in 2025.
When asked about Oshkosh, CEOs felt very positive (good to excellent) about the community, with 100% indicating that Oshkosh is a great place for raising a family and 87% indicating that Oshkosh is on the right track. Furthermore, 76% believed Oshkosh has a strong, vibrant economy; 84% thought it was business-friendly, with 74% saying it is a great place to start a business. Furthermore, 76 percent of the CEOs feel Oshkosh is an excellent place for young professionals, while 82 percent feel Oshkosh has an exciting downtown.
From a shopping perspective, 66% of the CEOs think Oshkosh has ample shopping opportunities, about the same as last year, while 76% feel Oshkosh has diverse dining opportunities. This indicates room for continued growth in these areas.
