Owners Say They’re Willing to Hire, Train Student Workers

September 5, 2023 Last Edit: June 5, 2025

Alabama small businesses are struggling to find enough job applicants

Owners Say They're Willing to Hire, Train Student Workers

NFIB State Director Rosemary Elebash says a new NFIB survey shows many small business owners would be willing to hire and train high school students to work summers and part-time during the school year. “One of the biggest issues facing our members right now is finding enough people to work,” Elebash said. The email survey of NFIB Alabama members found that 61.5% of respondents would be willing to hire and train students as full-time employees for 10- to 12-week summer positions. In addition, 76.9% of respondents would consider hiring and training high school students if they could work part-time during the school day as part of a cooperative education program. The survey also found that 65.4% of respondents would give preference to job applicants with a training certificate from a junior college while 53.8% would be willing to offer higher wages to workers with a training certificate. “This wasn’t a scientific survey, but it indicates how difficult it’s become for employers in general and small businesses in particular to find and keep qualified job candidates,” Elebash said. The latest NFIB Jobs Report found that 40% of owners nationwide had positions they couldn’t fill. Thirty-six percent of owners nationwide reported raising compensation in August, while a net 26% of owners plan to raise compensation in the next three months

Topics:

Taxes

State:

Alabama

Get to know NFIB

NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.

Learn More

February 19, 2026

WATCH: NFIB Arizona Member Testifies Before Ways and Means Committee

NFIB Leadership Council Member Brad Scott testifies in support of HB 2290, which would clarify Arizona’s Transaction Privilege Tax Sourcing Law

February 18, 2026

NFIB Arizona to Lawmakers: Small Businesses Need Tax Certainty Now

“We will continue to urge lawmakers to take action and align Arizona’s income tax code with the small business provisions that are permanent in federal law so …