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More small firms handed out raises last month and it looks like there’s more where that came from, as employers maintained their plans to lift compensation in the future. The latest monthly employment report from the National Federation of Independent Business, due out later today, also finds that U.S. small companies continue to report plentiful job openings. It seems that the great American worker shortage is not over yet. NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg reports on the employers: In December, a
seasonally adjusted net 31% reported raising compensation, up 5 points from November. A net 24% (seasonally adjusted) plan to raise compensation in the next three months, unchanged from November. NFIB also found that jobs remain widely available across the economy for those willing to work: In December, 33% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, unchanged from November. Unfilled job openings remain above the historical average of 24%. Twenty-eight percent have openings for skilled workers (up 2 points), and 10% have openings for unskilled labor (down 2 points). On a less optimistic note, hiring plans cooled a bit last month, according to Mr. Dunkelberg:
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