A new report by the National Federation of Independent Business shows that more than a third of small businesses reported job openings they could not fill in November.
Vacancies were up slightly from October, and labor costs rose from 8% to 11% in the same time frame.
According to the report, openings were the highest in the transportation, construction and professional services sectors. They were lowest in agriculture and finance.
Robert Blaney, director of the Small Business Administration for the district of Arizona, said since the pandemic, small businesses have struggled to find people to fill positions and that higher wages and inflation have created barriers.
The report shows about 19% of small businesses reported issues with labor quality.
