Majority of Small Business Owners Still Struggling With Hiring

February 8, 2022

The labor shortage still threatens the U.S. economy, with 60% of small business owners reporting they cannot find the right workers to fill open jobs, according to the latest poll from Alignable.

A survey of more than 6,000 small businesses conducted from January 15, 2022 to February 3, 2022 found that the small business recovery rate was 30% in January, down from 43% in December. Long-term care centers are among the industries negatively affected by high staff turnover.

Among minority-owned businesses, 67% report they have not been able to hire the right people in January, the same percentage as in December. Women-owned businesses are not far behind, with 63% struggling to hire employees, compared to 58% in December.

The labor shortage is nationwide, with the following states reporting the most problems finding qualified staff:

  • California, with 65% of small businesses reporting difficulty in hiring
  • Pennsylvania, with 60%
  • Florida, with 58%
  • Ohio and Texas, both with 57%
  • New York, with 52%

Although more than half of small businesses in New York reported hiring struggles in January, it was an improvement from December when 61% reported hiring problems.

 

Latest Articles

laptop graphic
July 17, 2026 Jeff Cross

AI in Hiring: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What Employers Need to Know

July 16, 2026 Sponsored by Optisolve

New Technology Platform Targets the Hidden 90% of Cleaning Budgets

July 15, 2026 Ronnie Phillips

Redefining the Restroom Experience Through Functional Modernization

Sponsored Articles

New Technology Platform Targets the Hidden 90% of Cleaning Budgets
July 16, 2026 Sponsored by Optisolve

New Technology Platform Targets the Hidden 90% of Cleaning Budgets

July 7, 2026 Dr. Rebecca Bascom & Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner & Dr. Omrana Pasha-Razzak

Evidence-Based Cleaning Ensures Healthy Places and Spaces

July 2, 2026

D.A.R.E. to Clean Restrooms Smarter with Tornado

Recent News

norovirus

Diarrhea Outbreak Expands

Legionnaires’ Disease Cases Grow in NYC

Most Americans Worried About Impact of Power Outages