Marketplace All-in-One More labor market blues
Nov 11, 2025
Business owners express pessimism as many struggle to fill positions and cite labor quality as their main concern. The labor market shows signs of weakening, with rising unemployment and stagnant wages. Discussions highlight the implications of a proposed 50-year mortgage, which could lower payments but raise risks and home prices. A focus on real wage growth reveals it has slowed to around 2%, disproportionately affecting low-wage workers. Meanwhile, record municipal bond issuance signals changing economic conditions.
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Small Businesses Struggle To Hire
- NFIB data show 32% of small businesses can't fill open jobs and 27% cite labor quality as their top problem.
- Multiple private datasets point to weakening labor markets, slower hiring, and stagnant wages.
Small Firms Lose Out To Big Employers
- Small firms feel hiring pains more acutely because they compete with larger employers offering better pay and benefits.
- Layoff uncertainty makes jobseekers prefer bigger employers, reducing applicant quality for small businesses.
Long Mortgages Trade Payments For Risk
- A 50-year mortgage lowers monthly payments but raises interest cost and slows equity building.
- Longer terms risk turning homeowners into long-term renters and increase vulnerability if prices stagnate.