FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ronda Wiggers, State Director, rondakwiggers@gmail.com
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org

HELENA, Mont., April 3, 2025—Job openings that can’t be filled is still a big problem for small businesses, according to the latest Job Report released today by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), which showed 40% of small business owners reporting in March they’re struggling to find help, up two points from February.

“Fortunately for Montanans, our Legislature continues to work on fortifying small businesses against whatever the economy can throw at them,” said Ronda Wiggers, state director for NFIB in Montana. “Right now, there are bills on the governor’s desk relating to workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance issues, which, if he signs them, will help small business solvency even more.”

NFIB’s Jobs Report is released the first Thursday of every month. It 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

“With qualified workers in short supply, job openings stayed solid on Main Street in March. As spring progresses, fewer small business owners plan to create new positions, but they are looking to fill current vacancies.”

Highlights from the Latest Jobs Report

• Job openings were the highest in the construction, transportation, and manufacturing sectors, and the lowest in the agriculture and wholesale sectors. Job openings in construction were up ten points from last month, and up 12 points from March 2024. Openings in the transportation sector rose 23 points from February to 53%.
• The percent of small business owners reporting labor quality as their top operating problem was unchanged from February at 19%.
• Labor costs reported as the single most important problem for business owners fell one point in March to 11%, only two points below the highest reading of 13% reached in December 2021.
• Seasonally adjusted, a net 38% of small business owners reported raising compensation in March, up five points from February. A net 19% (seasonally adjusted) plan to raise compensation in the next three months, up one point from February.

Keep up with the latest Montana small business news at www.nfib.com or by following us on X at @NFIB_MT.

###

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.

NFIB Montana
406-899-9659
rondakwiggers@gmail.com
NFIB.com
X: @NFIB_MT