COLUMBUS, Ohio – NFIB’s latest jobs report found that 36% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in June, up 2 points from May.
“Ohio’s small business owners continue to prioritize filling open positions and creating new jobs, but finding qualified workers remains a top challenge for them,” said Cameron Garczyk, NFIB Ohio assistant state director. “Small businesses were pleased to see Gov. DeWine sign the state budget, which will further strengthen the small business economy and Ohio’s workforce.”
Overall, 58% of small business owners reported hiring or trying to hire in June, up 3 points from May. Fifty percent (86% of those hiring or trying to hire) of owners reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill. Twenty-five percent of owners reported few qualified applicants for their open positions, and 25% reported none.
Thirty percent have openings for skilled workers (unchanged), and 13% have openings for unskilled labor (unchanged for the fifth consecutive month).
Job openings were the highest in the construction, manufacturing and transportation industries, and the lowest in the finance and agriculture industries.
A seasonally adjusted net 13% of owners plan to create new jobs in the next three months, up 1 point from May.
The percent of small business owners reporting labor quality as their top operating problem remained at 16%, unchanged from May. Labor costs reported as the single most important problem for business owners rose 1 point from May to 10%.
Seasonally adjusted, a net 33% of small business owners reported raising compensation in June, up 7 points from May, and the largest monthly increase since January 2020. A net 19% (seasonally adjusted) plan to raise compensation in the next three months, down 1 point from May.
The full report can be viewed HERE.