Data released on Thursday by the National Alliance of Independent Enterprises (NFIB) showA record percentage of American small business owners say they have unfilled jobs in July, while more companies plan to raise wages to attract much-needed manpower。

According to NFIB dataAbout 49% of the companies had job openings last month.It was 3 percent higher than in June and the highest monthly figure since the data began in 1986. In addition, a record 27% of small business owners said they planned to raise their salaries in the next three months.

"it is difficult for small business owners to find the right people to fill their vacant positions, which weakens business activity during the busy summer," Bill Dunkelberg, chief economist at NFIB, said in a statement. "Business owners are raising wages" to attract workers.

The report shows that job skills are still a problem for enterprises.93% of the respondents said there were few or no qualified job seekers.。

The proportion of small companies planning to hire in the next three months is close to an all-time high, while the proportion of companies that have raised wages is also close to high.