Jobs Report
The NFIB Research Foundation has collected Small Business Economic Trends data with quarterly surveys since 1974 and monthly surveys since 1986. Survey respondents are drawn from NFIB’s membership. The survey was conducted in September 2025 and reflects a random sample of 10,000 small-business owners/members.
NFIB Jobs Report: Job Openings Remain Steady While Economy Grows
NFIB’s September jobs report found that 32% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in September, unchanged from August. The last time unfilled job openings fell below 32% was in July 2020. Twenty-eight percent have openings for skilled workers (unchanged), and 13% have openings for unskilled labor (unchanged).
Main Street job openings remain above their historical average, with owners reporting few qualified applicants. While a recession appears unlikely, small business owners continue to experience economic uncertainty as many owners continue to grapple with labor imbalances.
– Bill Dunkelberg, NFIB Chief Economist
A seasonally adjusted net 16% of owners plan to create new jobs in the next three months, up 1 point from August and the fourth consecutive monthly increase. Hiring plans are at their highest level since January.
Overall, 58% of small business owners reported hiring or trying to hire in September, up 5 points from August. Fifty percent (88% of those hiring or trying to hire) of owners reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill, up 7 points. Twenty-nine percent of owners reported few qualified applicants for their open positions and 21% reported none.
In September, 18% of small business owners cited labor quality as their single most important problem, down 3 points from August. Labor costs reported as the single most important problem for business owners rose 3 points from August to 11%.
Seasonally adjusted, a net 31% of small business owners reported raising compensation in September, up 2 points from August. A net 19% (seasonally adjusted) plan to raise compensation in the next three months, down 1 point from August.
Click here to view the entire NFIB Jobs Report
The full Small Business Economic Trends report will be released on Tuesday, October 14th.
