FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick Connor, Washington State Director, patrick.connor@nfib.org,
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org

OLYMPIA, Wash., Jan. 9, 2026—From NFIB Washington State Director Patrick Connor on yesterday’s release of the monthly Jobs Report from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), which found that 33% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in December, unchanged from November. Unfilled job openings remain above the historical average of 24%.

“We hope the Washington Legislature can avoid repeating itself in 2026 with the record-high taxes it heaped on everyone last year. Small business owners make decisions on whether or not to hire or whether or to even keep their doors open based on many factors, all of which, it seems, were negatively impacted by the policies coming out of Olympia. Meanwhile, we’re hoping Congress can build on its accomplishment of making the 20% Small Business Deduction permanent by passing our nine federal legislative priorities. Once again, this year will be a tale of two governments.”

NFIB’s Jobs Report is a national survey of NFIB-member small-business owners, not broken down by state. The December survey, through 12/31/2025, is based on a random sample of 429 respondents of NFIB’s member firms.

From NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg

“The economic climate continues to support the small business labor market. Although employment conditions vary, fewer owners report labor as their biggest challenge while compensation pressures are escalating.”

Highlights from the Latest NFIB Jobs Report

• Overall, 53% of owners reported hiring or trying to hire in December, down 3 points from November.
• In December, 19% of small business owners cited labor quality as their single most important problem, down 2 points from November.
• Seasonally adjusted, a net 31% of small business owners reported raising compensation in December, up 5 points from November. A net 24% (seasonally adjusted) plan to raise compensation in the next three months, unchanged from November.

Keep up with the latest Washington state small business news at www.nfib.com or on X @NFIB_WA or on Facebook @NFIB.WA

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For over 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.

NFIB Washington
111 – 21st Avenue Southwest
Olympia, WA 98501
360-786-8675
NFIB.com
Twitter: @NFIB_WA
Facebook: @NFIB.WA