Small-business owners report record-high hiring expectations, while at the same time admitting some troubles filling open roles. Companies of all sizes are currently facing the pressures of a labor market at 3.9 percent unemployment and a booming economy, but small businesses may be particularly squeezed. According to the latest CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey, some 33 percent of small-business owners expect to hire additional full-time workers this year, seven percentage points more than a year ago and a new high mark in this quarterly survey. But about half that number — 16 percent — say they have roles open right now that they have been unable to fill for at least three months. Small businesses with 50 or more employees are both the most likely to say they plan to increase their headcount in the next year and are the most likely to have open positions. More than half of small-business owners with 50 or more employees (55 percent) are planning to expand their teams, and 41 percent have roles open now.

Small business owner annual hiring plans Small business owner survey responses by size Increase Stay the same Decrease All small business owners 33% 59% 7% 0-4 employees 26% 68% 5% 5-9 employees 41% 47% 12% 10-49 employees 46% 47% 8% 50 or more employees 55% 38% 8%

Why it is so hard to find workers

A big plurality (45 percent) of small-business owners blame a lack of workers with the right education or training. In labor economics parlance, this is known as the skills gap, meaning that employers expect new hires to come in on day one with more advanced skills or deeper learning than the actual job candidates have. Another 28 percent of small-business owners point the finger at competition from large corporations, who can offer potential employees higher salaries, better benefits and other perks that small businesses cannot offer. Jointly, another 18 percent attribute hiring troubles to the current low unemployment levels. With unemployment at a low rate, job seekers benefit from a labor market in which companies, large and small, are trying to outbid the competition. Small businesses in the finance and insurance industries are the most apt to see education and training as the largest impediments to hiring: 63 percent single this out as the primary reason. Concern about competing with big companies peaks among those in the health-care and social-assistance category.

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Where small businesses should be looking