Great Lakes Wire

In September, 32% of small business owners reported having job openings they could not fill, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). This figure is unchanged from August and remains above the historical average. The percentage of owners with unfilled job openings has not dropped below this level since July 2020. Openings for skilled workers stood at 28%, while those for unskilled labor remained at 13%, both unchanged from the previous month.

Amanda Fisher, NFIB Michigan State Director, commented on the findings: “Small business job openings remain above their historical average, but Michigan small employers are committed to hiring and finding qualified workers for their open positions. Now that the Legislature has reached a deal on the state budget, lawmakers need to avoid passing legislation that would further exacerbate small business hiring challenges.”

Plans for future hiring also increased. A seasonally adjusted net 16% of owners indicated intentions to create new jobs in the next three months, which is up one point from August and marks four consecutive months of growth in hiring plans—the highest level since January.

The report also showed that 58% of small business owners were hiring or trying to hire in September, a five-point increase over August. Of those seeking employees, half said they found few or no qualified applicants—a seven-point rise compared to last month. Specifically, 29% noted few qualified applicants and 21% reported none.

Concerns about labor quality decreased slightly as only 18% cited it as their top issue—down three points from August—while concern over labor costs rose by three points to reach 11%.

Regarding compensation trends, a net 31% of owners reported raising pay in September (up two points), while a net 19% plan to increase compensation in the coming three months (down one point).

For more details on these findings, see the full NFIB Jobs Report.