Missouri Jobs Reports Shows No Change From August

The September jobs report found that a seasonally adjusted figure of 32% of small business owners reported job openings they couldn’t fill in September, unchanged from August.

The National Federation of Independent Business also reports the last time unfilled job openings fell below 32% was in July 2020 while 28% percent of business owners have openings for skills workers and 13% for unskilled workers…both unchanged.

Qualified applicants for several jobs are also being described as being in short supply with 16% of business owners planning to create new jobs in the next three months, up one point from August and the fourth consecutive monthly increase.

Full Report:

NFIB’s September jobs report found 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. Twenty-eight percent have openings for skilled workers (unchanged), and 13% have openings for unskilled labor (unchanged).

“Main Street job openings remain above their historical average, with owners reporting few qualified applicants,” said Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “While a recession appears unlikely, small business owners continue to experience economic uncertainty as many owners continue to grapple with labor imbalances.”

“Our members want to hire,” NFIB State Director Brad Jones said. “But qualified applicants are in short supply. That’s contributing to some uncertainty within the small business community.”

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.

Overall, 58% of small business owners reported hiring or trying to hire in September, up 5 points from August. Fifty percent (88% of those hiring or trying to hire) of owners reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill, up 7 points. Twenty-nine percent of owners reported few qualified applicants for their open positions and 21% reported none.

In September, 18% of small business owners cited labor quality as their single most important problem, down 3 points from August. Labor costs reported as the single most important problem for business owners rose 3 points from August to 11%.

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.

Click here to view the entire NFIB Jobs Report.