Small businesses are still struggling to hire. But the situation’s improving.
Small businesses are still struggling to hire. But the situation’s improving.
The federal government’s jobs report for August was among several chunks of labor market data released this week.
The National Federation of Independent Business put out its own report about small-business employment. Some 40% of small businesses told the organization that they had trouble filling job openings last month. While that might sound like a big number, it’s actually the lowest level since March 2021.
It’s a similar story with wages: The number of business owners who said they raised workers’ pay is at its lowest since May 2021. So, Marketplace decided to check in with a few businesses to find out what they’ve been up to on the jobs front.
Business has slowed down at Fearless Foundry, Madeline Reeves’ marketing and consulting firm near Seattle. So ever since April, she’s been holding off on hiring.
“As an employer, I don’t ever want to be in a position where I can’t guarantee somebody to work long-term,” she said.
As a result, Reeves said that she’s been doing more work herself. When she does need additional help, she’s figured out how to get by without relying on full-time staffers.
“Now, we’re shifting to rather than having in-house designers, we’re having outsourced designers that we work with on a contract basis,” she said.
Even though the labor market has been showing signs of loosening, there’s still plenty of demand for workers in some industries.
Mark Frier owns two restaurants in Vermont, the Reservoir and the Bench. “The other day, I went to try to go to two different delis and bakeries, and both had signs reflecting that they were short-staffed and unable to open,” he said.
Frier added that he’s still having a hard time finding workers too. Affordable housing in the region is not easy to come by, and many of his employees are about to go back to school.
“We literally changed our sign on the road from an explanation of where to park to basically a full-time hiring sign that’s permanent on the building,” he said.
Businesses have spent the last few years figuring out how to make do with the staff they have.
Tiffany Turner is the CEO of Adrift Hospitality, which operates several hotels in the Pacific Northwest. She’s looking for a chef and a human resources manager. But right now, she can afford to be patient.
“Because we’re fairly seasonal,” she said. “We’re able to take a breath in September and say, ‘We’ll be OK even though if we don’t fill this for a couple months.'”
Turner’s business will be fine through the slow winter season, she said — as long as it’s fully staffed by February.
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