Xero’s latest Small Business Insights data shows Australian small businesses ended 2025 with their strongest sales and jobs growth in two years, with sales up 6.7% year on year in the December quarter and employment up 3.4%. Payment times improved to a record-fast 23.9 days on average, though invoices were still paid about 6.6 days late. Xero warned the momentum could be tested by the RBA’s February interest rate increase, while construction, health care and real estate led sales growth and retail and hospitality lagged.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Xero Limited published the original content used to generate this news brief on February 26, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.