The share of small businesses planning to hire in the near future fell in February, the survey by the National Federation of Independent Business says, underlining weakness in overall job growth during the month.
NFIB says 13% of the 725 small companies surveyed last month planned to hire in the next three months, down four points from January. Despite that shift, the trade association says in a note: “Overall, job creation should continue to be reasonably strong, assuming owners can find a few qualified applicants or that higher wage offers convince some individuals to re-enter the labor force.”
The NFIB survey results followed the U.S. Labor Department’s report on Friday showing companies of all sizes created just 97,000 jobs in February, the fewest in two years.