The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)’s March jobs report found that 40% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in March, up two points from February. A seasonally adjusted net 12 percent of owners plan to create new jobs in the next three months, down three points from February.
“With qualified workers in short supply, job openings stayed solid on Main Street in March,” said Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “As spring progresses, fewer small business owners plan to create new positions, but they are looking to fill current vacancies.”
Overall, 53 percent of small business owners reported hiring or trying to hire in March, unchanged from February. Forty-seven percent (87 percent of those hiring or trying to hire) of owners reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill. Twenty-six percent of owners reported few qualified applicants for their open positions and 21 percent reported none.
Thirty-three percent have openings for skilled workers (up two points) and 13 percent have openings for unskilled labor (unchanged).