Hiring pressures ease for small businesses

December was the first month since July where more small business owners said they found it easier rather than harder to find employees, according to a Dec. 30 report from The Wall Street Journal based on a survey of 650 small business owners. 

Entrepreneurs believe that taking steps including raising pay, adding apprenticeship programs and rewriting job ads have helped employee retention. 

Medical-alert wristwatch maker UnaliWear increased starting pay from $15 to $18 an hour in the fall, and are now fully staffed for the first time in months, according to the report. 

Almost 25 percent of surveyed entrepreneurs said that it was easier to fill open jobs in December than earlier in the year. That is up 18 percent from November. 

Additionally, 20 percent of surveyed entrepreneurs said it was harder to fill open positions, down from 25 percent in November. 

Small businesses are also seeing a jump in applications, which some entrepreneurs attribute to hiring freezes and layoffs at larger organizations. 

Small business confidence improved in December by the largest amount in 21 months, according to the report. 

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