FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Federation of Independent Business/California
Contact: Shawn Lewis (916) 342-9315; [email protected]
Follow: @NFIB_CA and on Facebook
NFIB Jobs Report: Job Creation Flat in
November but Plans to Hire Improve
Job
openings highest since 2009; plans to hire hit peak for 2016
SACRAMENTO,
Calif., December 2, 2016 –
National job creation remained weak in November, but more small employers said
they have open positions, and a greater percentage of firms reported plans to
hire in the future, according to the monthly National Federation of
Independent Business (NFIB) Jobs Report, released this week.
“Nationally, job
creation among small businesses was relatively weak in November, but there are
clear signs that business owners are feeling better about the future,” said NFIB/CA
State Executive Director Tom Scott. “They are trying to hire, but they are
still having a difficult time finding qualified employees.”
The NFIB
Index of Small Business Optimism, due out on December 13th, may
paint a clearer picture, according to Scott.
The November
Jobs Report posted a gain of 0.02 workers per firm. According to the report, 15
percent of small firms have plans to create jobs, a five-point increase and the
strongest reading in 2016.
“That’s a
positive sign that small business owners have enough confidence in the future
to make investments in new employees,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill
Dunkelberg. “But the scarcity of qualified workers continues to be a
frustration for small employers.”
Fifty-eight
percent of small employers said they hired or tried to hire in November. Among
them, however, 52 percent said they found few or no qualified workers for the
positions they were trying to fill. Finding qualified workers continues to rank
as one of the top three ‘Single Most Important Business Problems,’ according to
the Jobs Report.
“We may be
seeing a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Scott. “This data signals that small business, which is the
traditional engine of job creation, is coming to life and ready to put
Americans back to work.”
To view the
NFIB Jobs Report, visit www.nfib.com/jobs.
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For more than 70 years, the National
Federation of Independent Business has been the Voice of Small Business, taking
the message from Main Street to the halls of Congress and all 50 state
legislatures. NFIB has 350,000 dues-paying members nationally, with over 22,000
in California. NFIB annually surveys its members on state and federal issues
vital to their survival as America’s economic engine and biggest creator of
jobs. To learn more visit www.NFIB.com/california
