For businesses in America, the sign of the times -- literally -- is "Help Wanted."
Small businesses are often called the backbone of the U.S. economy – but even with record-high confidence, businesses can't find the workers they need. The labor shortage is taking a taking a toll on employers.
One in three small-business owners report they have job openings they can't fill -- and 12 percent say they're forced to use temporary workers.
Here in Texas, it's much the same, according to Annie Spilman of the Texas office of the National Federation of independent Business, which surveys members about their top challenges.
Spilman, who lobbies state lawmakers in Austin on behalf of small business owners, says construction and trades are among the tougher areas to fully staff.
She tells Newsradio 740 KTRH that better coordination of skills training right out of high school -- that's tied to actual workforce needs -- would help address the labor shortage and put people into-good-paying jobs immediately.
Nationally one-third of small-business owners report job openings they can’t fill, and 12 percent say they’ve been forced to resort to using temporary workers.