Across Ohio, small-business owners are hanging out "Help Wanted" signs and getting crickets in return. A new report from the National Federation of Independent Business says labor quality has now climbed to the top of owners' worry lists. With small firms making up nearly every company in Ohio and providing roughly two in five private-sector jobs, that worker shortage is landing hard on Main Street.
Survey shows 'quality of labor' tops the list
In a recent state-level snapshot, the NFIB Research Center found that 24% of Ohio small-business owners named quality of labor as their single biggest problem, which is five percentage points higher than the national average, according to the NFIB Research Center. The group’s Ohio SBET pooled 2025 survey responses and still managed to find some modest optimism, with owners reporting guarded confidence about future sales and plans to hire when they can find the right people.
Why this matters
Small firms do not just dot the Ohio map, they keep paychecks flowing. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses made up more than 99% of Ohio companies in 2025 and employed about 44% of the state’s private workforce. When those employers cannot hire, the ripple effects show up in neighborhoods, from fewer open hours to stalled expansions.
Owners blame tight labor market and big-company competition
Jared Weiser, NFIB’s Ohio state director, said the numbers back up what owners are telling him. “According to our data, it’s harder in Ohio than in other states,” he told WYSO, noting that the NFIB’s sample unemployment metric dropped from about 5% to roughly 4.2%, shrinking the pool of available workers in the group’s survey. At the same time, official figures put Ohio’s unemployment rate at about 3.7% in May, highlighting just how tight the market is for employers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
State steps up training, earn-and-learn programs
State leaders and economic-development officials are trying to widen that talent pipeline. JobsOhio rolled out a $300 million experiential learning initiative in June 2026 to help subsidize training and industry-recognized credentials. At the same time, the DeWine administration’s WorkOhio program is coordinating regional hubs and community connectors to steer jobseekers toward in-demand roles.
What small businesses say they need
Owners say the problem is not just headcount, it is the whole package: pay, benefits and training. “It’s very hard to compete with the large corporations that can offer tuition reimbursement,” Weiser told WYSO. Many small employers report leaning heavily on retention efforts, on-the-job upskilling and tighter hiring plans in an effort to control costs while keeping the workers they already have.
Taken together, the NFIB findings and SBA data point to a statewide workforce crunch with very local consequences for storefronts and service providers. The NFIB says it plans to use the survey results to push for policy and training responses with state leaders, according to the NFIB. For now, owners say that hiring conditions, along with the wages and benefits they must offer to stay competitive, will go a long way in determining whether Ohio’s small firms can grow or simply hang on over the next year.
