Small Businesses Report Shows Worker Shortage Remains High in August, NFIB Says

01:08 PM EDT, 09/03/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Small businesses reported that the level of worker shortages remained elevated in August, with a seasonally adjusted 35% of respondents in a National Federation of Independent Business survey released Thursday saying they were having trouble hiring the workers that they needed, down slightly from 36% in the previous month. The NFIB's Small Business Employment Index fell to 101.8 in August from 102.1 in July, still above the historical average of 100.0 and the 2025 average of 101.2. The percentage of business owners reporting labor quality as their top business concern fell to 23% from 27%, while labor costs were listed as single most important concern by 7%, down from 8% in July and the lowest since March 2021. "Small businesses are slowing down their hiring efforts as the summer comes to an end, with fewer owners reporting job openings or plans to create new positions," said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. "The pressure to offer competitive wages is still high, but it's no longer a top challenge for most Main Street employers." About 56% of owners said they were trying to hire in the month, down from 61% in July. Around 82% of the respondents who were hiring or trying to hire reported finding few or no qualified applicants for the position they were trying to fill. Hiring plans for the next three months declined with a net 17% of respondents saying they expect to hire, down from 20% in July. A seasonally adjusted net 31% of owners said they needed to raise compensation to hire workers in August, the same as in July. A net 18% of owners said they plan to raise compensation in the next three months, down from 19% in July.