U.S. Small Business Employment Landscape Remains Steady

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch, the pace of U.S. small business job growth (99.23) in July remained steady and was slightly above average jobs index (99.20) for the first half of the year, signaling a steady employment environment among businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Although hourly earnings growth for small business workers remained below three percent at 2.86% in July, growth in weekly hours worked reached 0.40% — its highest level in more than five years. As a result, weekly earnings growth rose to 3.14%, its strongest level since December 2023.

“Small businesses continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience heading into the back half of the year – and overall employment across our client base continues to be stable, with slightly stronger growth among customers with more than 50 employees,” said John Gibson, Paychex president and CEO. “While the employment landscape remains steady, the more notable trend is the increase in hours worked, which reached its highest level in more than five years in July. Business owners are finding creative opportunities to grow and are currently relying on their existing workforce to meet demand. Combined with stronger weekly earnings growth, these indicators point to a small business community that remains stable, productive, and focused on building momentum in the second half of the year.”

Jobs Index and Wage Data Highlights

• Following gains in four of the last five months, the national Small Business Jobs Index is up slightly (0.07 percentage points) during the past quarter.
• Weekly earnings growth increased to 3.14% in July, the highest level since December 2023 (3.25%).
• Weekly hours worked growth (0.40%) was positive for the fifth consecutive month in July and is at its highest level since April 2021 (0.44%).
• Among industries for job growth, Manufacturing (99.34) recorded the strongest one-month change (0.35 percentage points), three-month change (1.14 percentage points), and 12-month change (0.72 percentage points) among sectors in July.
  
  

About the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch
Since 2014, the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch has been a trusted source of employment trends for U.S. small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. The Employment Watch website offers interactive charts and historical data across the report’s two key components – the jobs index and wage data – as well as the methodology for both analyses. Visit the Bloomberg Terminals or subscribe to receive monthly alerts with the latest data.

*Information regarding the professions included in the industry data can be found at the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

About Paychex
Paychex, Inc. (Nasdaq: PAYX) provides a comprehensive suite of expert-enabled technology and advisory solutions that help businesses manage HR, payroll, and benefits. Serving approximately 840,000 customers clients and paying 1 in 11 U.S. private sector workers, Paychex combines scale, trusted expertise, and innovation to help businesses succeed. Built on more than 50 years of workforce experience and one of the industry’s largest proprietary HR datasets, Paychex’s WISE agentic AI platform embeds intelligence directly into workflows to improve productivity, enhance decision-making, and deliver better outcomes. Learn more at paychex.com.

Media Contacts
Tracy Volkmann
Paychex, Inc.
Manager, Public Relations
(585) 387-6705
tvolkmann@paychex.com
@Paychex

Erin McAward
ICR, Inc.
Account Director
paychexpr@icrinc.com

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July Paychex Small Business Employment Watch

The latest Paychex Small Business Employment Watch shows the pace of U.S. small business job growth in July remained steady and was slightly above average jobs index for the first half of the year.