Summary: Job market softens and finding qualified and willing employees remains a strong headwind for Main Street employers.
- 35% of small businesses reported job openings they could not fill in January (no change from December).
- 52% of small businesses hired or tried to hire in January (down 3 points from December). Of those hiring, 90% of those hiring reported few or no qualified job applicants (up 1 point from December).
- 18% of small business owners are planning to create new jobs in the next 3-months (1 point lower than December).
- 33% of small businesses raised wages in December (up 4 points from December).
- 29% of small businesses have openings for skilled workers (no change from December) and 10% have openings for unskilled labor (3 points lower than December).
- 45% of small businesses in construction have a job opening they can’t fill (4 points higher than December).
Learn more about this data from National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Jobs Report, published Feb. 6, 2025.
