Figures released Tuesday morning show that small-business hiring in the United States fell in March to the lowest point in over seven years, while hourly earnings grew steadily.
Human resources firm Paychex's Small Business Jobs Index decreased 0.1% from last month and 1.1% from a year earlier. The firm also said small-business wages continued to rise, reaching a 2.7% (69 cents U.S. per hour) annual growth rate in March.
Paychex said national hourly earnings in March were $26.48.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last month that non-farm payrolls grew more than expected, but the closely watched wage number continues to steadily decline this year.
The Paychex report comes three days before the BLS releases its closely watched employment data for March.
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