STATE:

Why NFIB

Take Action

Get Support

Stay Informed

Podcast Podcast

Careers Careers

Join Now

Home / News / Press Release /

NFIB Jobs Report: Small Business Job Openings Back Up in January

February 2, 2023

NFIB Jobs Report: Small Business Job Openings Back Up in January

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 2, 2023) – According to NFIB’s monthly jobs report, 57% of owners reported hiring or trying to hire in January, up two points. Of those hiring or trying to hire, 91% of owners reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill. Twenty-seven percent of owners reported few qualified applicants for their open positions and 25% reported none. “The labor shortage continues to be a major concern for small businesses in the New Year as nearly all owners trying to hire are reporting no or few qualified applicants,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Small businesses’ sales opportunities are limited because of the staffing shortage but owners continue to make changes in business operations to compensate.” Forty-five percent (seasonally adjusted) of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, up four points from December. Small business owners’ plans to fill open positions remain elevated, with a seasonally adjusted net 19% planning to create new jobs in the next three months, up two points from December but 13 points below its record-high reading of 32 reached in August 2021. The percent of owners reporting labor quality as their top business operating problem remains elevated at 24%. Labor costs reported as the single most important problem to business owners increased two points to 10%, historically among the highest readings in over 49 years. Seasonally adjusted, a net 46% of owners reported raising compensation, up two points from December and just four points below the 49-year average record high set in January last year. A net 22% of owners plan to raise compensation in the next three months, down five points from December. This is a major concern of the Federal Reserve, as these increased costs are likely to be passed on in higher selling prices. Thirty-six percent of owners have job openings for skilled workers and 17% have openings for unskilled labor. Click here to view the full report.

Topics:

Economy

Get to know NFIB

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

Learn More

February 2, 2026

Small Businesses Urge Treasury to Destroy Beneficial Ownership Data

NFIB joined more than 100 trade associations to urge Treasury to destroy the unconstitutionally collected data from small businesses through beneficial ownersh…

January 30, 2026

Federal Update on Small Business Priorities

An episode of the Small Business Rundown podcast covers the successes from 2025 and the status of several important federal bills that could have an impact on …

January 30, 2026

Tips on the Basics of Federal Employment Law

The NFIB Small Business Legal Center compiled a list of several key employment laws with up-to-date information. Access critical resources to stay current on l…

January 30, 2026

Iowa January Legislative Update

Legislative updates on bills that impact Iowa small businesses

NFIB Jobs Report: Small Business Job Openings Back Up in January

Related Articles