Graham Personnel News

44% of Small Business Owners Unable to Fill Job openings

NFIB (05/06/21)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 6, 2021) – A new NFIB’s jobs report for April shows a record 44% of all small business owners report having job openings they could not fill, 22 points higher than the 48-year historical average, and two points higher than the 42% figure from March. April is the third consecutive month with a record-high reading of unfilled job openings among small businesses.

“The tight labor market is the biggest concern for small businesses who are competing with various factors such as supplemental unemployment benefits, childcare and in-person school restrictions, and the virus,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Many small business owners who are trying to hire are finding themselves unsuccessful and are having to delay the hiring or offer higher wages. Some owners are offering ‘show up’ bonuses for workers who agree to take the job and actually show up for work.”

Overall, 59% of small business owners reported hiring or trying to hire in April, up three points from March’s reading. Owners have plans to fill open positions with a seasonally adjusted net 21% planning to create new jobs in the next three months.

Ninety-two percent of those owners hiring or trying to hire report few or no “qualified” applicants for the positions they were trying to fill in April. Thirty-one percent of owners reported few qualified applicants for their open positions and 23% reported none.

Read the full article here.

Share it
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Email

Related Posts

Source: Staffing Industry Analysts (04/02/25) In March 2025, the U.S. private sector added 155,000 jobs,...

Source: Bloomberg News (04/01/25) US job openings fell more than expected in February to 7.57...

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (03/11/25) In January 2025, the U.S. labor market remained...

We're currently experiencing high call volumes. For quicker response, please text us at 336-288-9330 and our team will be happy to assist you.

Download our "GPS Jobs" app to browse open jobs, get new job alerts, complete onboarding, view paystubs, and more! Available for iOS and Android.