TALLAHASSEE — Small business owners reported stronger hiring intentions in July after four months of declines, according to the National Federation of Independent Business’s July jobs report.
The NFIB Small Business Employment Index rose to 102.1 in July from 100.2 in June. That reading is above the 2025 average of 101.2 and above the long-term historical average of 100.0.
NFIB data shows that 36% of small business owners, seasonally adjusted, had job openings they were unable to fill in July, up 4 points from June and the highest level since June 2025. 31 percent said they had openings for skilled workers (up 4 points) and 14% had openings for unskilled labor (up 2 points).
A seasonally adjusted net 20% of owners said they plan to create new jobs in the next three months, an increase of 9 points from June. That level is the highest since October 2022 and 9 points above the historical average.
Actual hiring activity decreased slightly: 61% of owners reported hiring or attempting to hire in July, a decrease of 1 point from June. Among owners hiring or trying to hire, 85% said they had few or no qualified applicants. Overall, 51% of owners reported there were few or no qualified applicants (no change). Thirty-two percent reported few qualified applicants (up 5 points) and 19% reported none (up 5 points).
The quality and availability of labor grew as a concern. In July, 27% of small business owners cited “quality or availability of labor” as their most important issue, up 8 points from June and 15 points above the historical average of 12%. Reports of labor costs as the most important issue remained unchanged at 8%.
Both workers’ compensation measures increased in July. A seasonally adjusted net 31% of owners reported they had increased compensation, up 3 points from June. A net 19% said they plan to increase compensation in the next three months, up 2 points from June. Both figures are above their historical averages.
NFIB Florida Executive Director Bill Herrle said the labor market remains a major challenge for Florida’s small employers, with many reporting difficulty finding qualified applicants even as hiring plans ramp up.
The full NFIB jobs report is available at https://tinyurl.com/yjshzsdb.