Majority of Small Business Owners Still Struggling With Hiring

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.