FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Kabateck, California State Director, john@kabstrat.com
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 31, 2025—From NFIB California State Director John Kabateck on today’s release of the monthly Jobs Report from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), showing that 33% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reporting job openings they could not fill in July, down three points from June and the lowest level since December 2020, though still well above the monthly historical average of 25%.

“It’s tough to resist the temptation to label it the new normal, given how long Main Street entrepreneurs have struggled to fill their job openings, but no difficulty occurs in a vacuum. State and federal policies have an impact on a small business owner’s calculation whether to hire or even remain in business at all. Big businesses get all sorts of accommodations, such as film tax credits, but small businesses? Forget about it. Witness the fate of Senate Bill 84, which would have provided small businesses with a short period of time to correct an ADA violation. The shakedown lawsuit industry proved too strong for the State Assembly to resist, failing to give it one hearing after the State Senate passed it 34-2. Shameful of the Assembly leadership.”

NFIB’s Jobs Report is a national survey of NFIB-member small-business owners, not broken down by state. The typical NFIB member employs between one and nine people and reports gross sales of about $500,000 a year.

From NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg

“The challenge of finding qualified workers is easing overall but still remained significant for many small business owners in July. The easing labor market pressures are also reflected in fewer firms raising compensation.”

Highlights from the Latest NFIB Jobs Report

• Job openings were the highest in the construction, wholesale, and transportation industries, and the lowest in the finance and agriculture industries.
• A seasonally adjusted net 14% of owners plan to create new jobs in the next three months, up one point from June. This remains above the historical average of net 11%.
• Seasonally adjusted, a net 27% of small business owners reported raising compensation in July, down six points from June. A net 17% (seasonally adjusted) plan to raise compensation in the next three months, down two points from June.
• Labor costs reported as the single most important problem for business owners decreased one point from June to 9%.

Keep up with the latest California small-business news at www.nfib.com. Follow us on X @NFIB_CA and on Facebook @NFIB.CA.

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For more than 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.

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