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

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 2, 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 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.  

“This week and next, all eyes are on the governor’s office leading up to his October 12 deadline to sign or veto bills. It was disappointing to see him sign Assembly Bill 288 (McKinnor) into law, which seeks to enforce workers’ collective bargaining rights for certain private sector employees when the federal National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) fails to act in a ‘timely manner,’ thereby usurping federal authority. The legality of this is almost certain to be challenged. On the other hand, his signing of Senate Bill 72 (Caballero), updating our state’s water policies, is a step in the right direction.”

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

“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.”

Highlights from the Latest NFIB Jobs Report

• Twenty-nine percent of owners reported few qualified applicants for their open positions and 21% reported none.
• 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.
• 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.

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 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.

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