Small-business owners across America are reporting continued openings for potential workers.
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) published its October jobs report, finding that 32% of small-business owners reported job openings they could not fill last month. That’s the same figure from the September survey.
While the number of businesses with job openings is holding steady, the NFIB points out that the figure is still pretty high. The last time unfilled job openings rose to 32% was December 2020, amid the COVID pandemic.
In addition, 28% of small-business owners have openings for skilled labor, which is also the same as the September number. Some 11% of those business owners have openings for unskilled positions, which is down by 2 percentage points from September.
There are no specific figures available for Florida job openings among small businesses. But NFIB Florida Executive Director Bill Herrle said independent business owners in the Sunshine State are having difficulty getting prime positions filled, especially as the holiday shopping season ramps up.
“While many owners continue to report trouble finding qualified workers, Florida’s small businesses are committed to their hiring plans and strengthening the economy. Small employers are working hard to meet their customers’ demands, especially as the busy holiday season nears,” Herrle said.
The NFIB surveyed 984 of its members through Oct. 31 to compile its data.
Other details in the survey showed fewer small-business owners were trying to hire more workers last month. The report says 56% sought to bring on more employees, but that figure is down by 2 percentage points from September. Of those, some 49% said they had few or no qualified applications for the positions they were trying to fill.
Dovetailing out of those factors, 27% of small-business owners said they see labor quality as their single most important problem. That’s up by 9 percentage points compared to September, the highest level since November 2021, which saw a record high of 29%.
