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Special Questions
Survey Period: [ – ]
Published on:
This section features timely and topical questions asked by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond as part of its monthly business surveys. These special questions vary each month and are designed to capture insights on emerging trends, economic disruptions, policy changes, or other current events impacting business conditions. The responses help provide a more nuanced understanding of the evolving economic landscape beyond our standard survey metrics.
June 2026 Special Questions Results
In June 2026, we asked regional business executives about their capital investments, business operations, and how businesses are beginning to implement AI into their operations. The results below are based on 256 total responses, 92 of which are from the manufacturing survey and 164 of which are from the non-manufacturing survey.
1. Please indicate your level of certainty regarding the following aspects of your business for the remainder of this year.
Topic: Operations, Revenue and Margins, Prices and Wages, Supply Chain
| Very Certain | Somewhat Certain | Slightly Certain | Not At All Certain | Not Applicable | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The prices you will charge your customers | 18.4% | 44.7% | 24.3% | 12.2% | 0.4% |
| The amount of inventory you will hold | 15.3% | 27.8% | 20.8% | 6.3% | 29.8% |
| Your input costs/costs from suppliers | 5.1% | 29.3% | 35.5% | 25.0% | 5.1% |
| Availability of inputs or products | 19.5% | 38.7% | 23.0% | 11.3% | 7.4% |
| Demand for your goods or services | 13.3% | 35.5% | 32.4% | 18.8% | 0.0% |
| Your profit margins | 6.6% | 35.5% | 30.9% | 26.2% | 0.8% |
| Very Certain | Somewhat Certain | Slightly Certain | Not At All Certain | Not Applicable | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The prices you will charge your customers | 12.0% | 47.8% | 26.1% | 14.1% | 0.0% |
| The amount of inventory you will hold | 15.2% | 41.3% | 28.3% | 12.0% | 3.3% |
| Your input costs/costs from suppliers | 4.3% | 25.0% | 37.0% | 33.7% | 0.0% |
| Availability of inputs or products | 14.1% | 45.7% | 25.0% | 15.2% | 0.0% |
| Demand for your goods or services | 9.8% | 39.1% | 29.3% | 21.7% | 0.0% |
| Your profit margins | 4.3% | 32.6% | 31.5% | 31.5% | 0.0% |
| Very Certain | Somewhat Certain | Slightly Certain | Not At All Certain | Not Applicable | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The prices you will charge your customers | 22.1% | 42.9% | 23.3% | 11.0% | 0.6% |
| The amount of inventory you will hold | 15.3% | 20.2% | 16.6% | 3.1% | 44.8% |
| Your input costs/costs from suppliers | 5.5% | 31.7% | 34.8% | 20.1% | 7.9% |
| Availability of inputs or products | 22.6% | 34.8% | 22.0% | 9.1% | 11.6% |
| Demand for your goods or services | 15.2% | 33.5% | 34.1% | 17.1% | 0.0% |
| Your profit margins | 7.9% | 37.2% | 30.5% | 23.2% | 1.2% |
2. What was total percentage change in employment and revenues over the last 12 months for your business?
Data are winsorized at 5% and 95%.
Topic: Revenue and Margins, Employment
| Total (n=255) | Manufacturing (n=92) | Non-Manufacturing (n=163) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | Mean | Mean | |
| Employment | 1.29% | 1.01% | 1.45% |
| Revenues | 2.08% | 1.67% | 2.30% |
3. What was total percentage change in capital investment over the last 12 months for your business?
Consider capital investments as equipment, software, technology, hardware, facilities, or other major purchases
Data are winsorized at 5% and 95%.
Topic: Investments
| Total (n=253) | Manufacturing (n=92) | Non-Manufacturing (n=161) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | Mean | Mean | |
| Capital investments | 4.10% | 2.83% | 4.83% |
4. Approximately what percentage of your total capital investments over the last 12 months were allocated to Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
This includes implementation or maintenance of AI.
Topic: Artificial Intelligence, Operations, Investments
| Total (n=121) | Manufacturing (n=37) | Non-Manufacturing (n=84) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% (No AI Investments) | 49.6% | 62.2% | 44.0% |
| 1% to 9% | 29.8% | 21.6% | 33.3% |
| 10% to 24% | 12.4% | 10.8% | 13.1% |
| 25% to 49% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2.4% |
| 50% to 74% | 3.3% | 0.0% | 4.8% |
| 75% to 100% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 1.2% |
| Not sure | 1.7% | 2.7% | 1.2% |
5. Approximately what percentage of your total capital investments over the next 12 months will be allocated to Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
This includes implementation or maintenance of AI.
Topic: Artificial Intelligence, Operations, Investments
| Total (n=256) | Manufacturing (n=92) | Non-Manufacturing (n=164) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% (No AI Investments) | 31.6% | 41.3% | 26.2% |
| 1% to 9% | 44.9% | 44.6% | 45.1% |
| 10% to 24% | 13.7% | 8.7% | 16.5% |
| 25% to 49% | 2.7% | 0.0% | 4.3% |
| 50% to 74% | 2.0% | 0.0% | 3.0% |
| 75% to 100% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Not sure | 5.1% | 5.4% | 4.9% |
6. Does your company currently allow its employees to use artificial Intelligence (AI) for any of the following work-related tasks?
Please only consider AI applications your company officially permits employees to use (either managed directly by your company or public AI tools).
Topic: Artificial Intelligence, Operations, Investments
| Total (n=255) | Manufacturing (n=91) | Non-Manufacturing (n=164) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information processing, paperwork, or filing | 39.2% | 30.8% | 43.9% |
| Writing or editing documents, emails, or communications | 72.2% | 58.2% | 79.9% |
| Interpreting, analyzing, translating, or summarizing documents | 56.9% | 47.3% | 62.2% |
| Customer support | 21.2% | 15.4% | 24.4% |
| Developing or researching new projects, processes, or products | 49.0% | 40.7% | 53.7% |
| Searching for information or technical help | 76.5% | 72.5% | 78.7% |
| Software coding or debugging | 17.3% | 17.6% | 17.1% |
| Data analysis or visualization | 50.2% | 45.1% | 53.0% |
| Tutoring, training, or learning | 35.3% | 28.6% | 39.0% |
| Something else (specify) | 7.8% | 8.8% | 7.3% |
| Employees do not have access to AI [Mutually Exclusive] | 10.6% | 17.6% | 6.7% |
7. Does your business currently use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in any of the following business functions?
Topic: Artificial Intelligence, Operations, Investments
| Total (n=250) | Manufacturing (n=89) | Non-Manufacturing (n=161) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production of goods (e.g., making or assembling products, construction) | 6.0% | 7.9% | 5.0% |
| Provision of services, products, or merchandise (e.g., providing services, products, or merchandise to customers) | 12.8% | 7.9% | 15.5% |
| Strategy and business development | 38.8% | 32.6% | 42.2% |
| Finance and accounting | 26.4% | 25.8% | 26.7% |
| Sales and marketing | 48.0% | 43.8% | 50.3% |
| Customer service | 16.4% | 12.4% | 18.6% |
| Research and development | 36.8% | 31.5% | 39.8% |
| Information technology | 36.4% | 37.1% | 36.0% |
| Public relations and communication | 32.8% | 23.6% | 37.9% |
| Management and administration | 41.6% | 37.1% | 44.1% |
| Legal and compliance | 25.2% | 22.5% | 26.7% |
| Something else (specify) | 5.6% | 6.7% | 5.0% |
| Company does not use AI in any business functions [Mutually Exclusive] | 16.8% | 27.0% | 11.2% |
Past Special Questions
- 2026
-
2025
- December
Outlook, Artificial Intelligence, Operations - September
Outlook, Employment, Revenue and Margins - August
Tariffs, Prices and Wages, Supply Chain, Revenue and Margins - June
Employment - May
Tariffs - March
Tariffs, Supply Chain, Prices and Wages - February
Prices and Wages
- December
-
2024
- December
- November
- August
- June
- May
- March
-
2023
- September
- August
- June
- May
- March
- February
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