If there’s one thing corporate finance leaders agree on in this unsettled economic environment, it’s this: Things must change.
Among 531 middle-market U.S. financial leaders surveyed in September, all but a mere 2% said they expect to change their business plans in response to current macroeconomic trends.
More than half (57%) of those polled by AvidXchange, a provider of accounts payable and payment solutions for midsize businesses and their suppliers, said they anticipate making “significant” or “considerable” changes as a result of the economic picture.
Many companies are adjusting their approach by reevaluating budgets and cutting discretionary spending (55%), implementing hiring freezes or slowing recruitment (38%) or building up cash reserves (31%).
However, AvidXchange noted in its survey report, while these measures may help keep core plans intact, they are also compounding the workload and pressure on finance teams. Indeed, 96% of survey respondents reported being asked to “do more with less.” Additionally, more than a quarter (28%) said they’re feeling that pressure “to a great extent,” and 52% answered “to a moderate extent.”
About one in five are decreasing investment in DEI initiatives, and the same proportion is spending less on capital investments such as facilities and equipment.
For many CFOs, the labor strain may worsen in 2026, as 29% of respondents said they plan to reduce their workforce through layoffs or attrition. The most prevalent ways companies are addressing the pressure: cross-training employees to handle multiple roles (55%) and implementing new technology/automation tools (49%).
With respect to the latter, half of the surveyed finance leaders said they will increase investment in AI and machine learning next year. But while AI is getting all the attention, it’s not the only way companies are prioritizing technology, with 39% of the participants saying they’ll invest more in non-AI technology and automation.
AvidXchange also asked how middle-market CFOs are planning to handle the execution of vendor and supplier payments in 2026. A large majority (74%) said they will do so fully or primarily in-house, while 22% will primarily or fully outsource the payments process to third-party providers (such as AvidXchange).
The report additionally noted that check fraud declined significantly this year, bolstered by the U.S. government’s abandonment of paper checks for most federal payments, which took effect Sept. 30. For the year overall, check-fraud attacks were reported by 22% of those surveyed, way down from 63% in 2024, according to AvidXchange research.
