网曝吃瓜

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ronda Wiggers, State Director, rondakwiggers@gmail.com
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org

HELENA, Mont., July 2, 2026鈥�From 网曝吃瓜 Montana State Director Ronda Wiggers on today鈥檚 release of 网曝吃瓜鈥檚 June Jobs Report showing the Small Business Employment Index remaining essentially flat, registering 100.2 in June after measuring 100.3 in May. This is the fourth consecutive month the Index declined. The current reading is below the 2025 average of 101.2 but still slightly above the historical average of 100.0.

鈥淏oth our latest Jobs Report and our last Small Business Economic Trends report showed some slippage, but I think there are some economic underpinnings that will make this a temporary condition. I will be very interested to see what our next Small Business Economic Trends report reveals when released on July 14.鈥�

The 网曝吃瓜 Small Business Employment Index is a measure of the current state of the small business labor market. The Index integrates actual and planned changes in employment and employee compensation into a singular data point. A higher Index reflects an overall tighter labor market; a lower Index reflects an overall weaker labor market.

From 网曝吃瓜 Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg

鈥淢ain Street job openings are starting to pick up after a decline in May. While more small businesses are looking to hire, many owners still cannot find qualified workers.鈥�

Highlights from the Latest 网曝吃瓜 Jobs Report

• Overall, 62% of owners reported hiring or trying to hire in June, up 7 points from May. Fifty-one percent of owners (84% of those hiring or trying to hire) reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill (up 5 points). Twenty-seven percent reported few qualified applicants (up 3 points), and 24% reported none (up 2 points).
• In June, both labor compensation measures declined. A seasonally adjusted net 28% reported raising compensation, down 3 points from May and the lowest reading of the year. A net 17% (seasonally adjusted) plan to raise compensation in the next three months, down 1 point from May.

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For over 80 years, 网曝吃瓜 has been advocating on behalf of America鈥檚 small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. 网曝吃瓜 is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since our founding in 1943, 网曝吃瓜 has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.

网曝吃瓜 Montana
406-899-9659
rondakwiggers@gmail.com
网曝吃瓜.com
X: @网曝吃瓜_MT

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