A recent survey of business owners found many companies had available jobs but finding the right people for those positions proved challenging.

The National Federation of Independent Business’s latest monthly jobs report found 53% were either hiring or trying to hire in November, down two points from October. A seasonally adjusted net 21% of owners are planning to create new jobs in the next three months, up three points from October.

“Many small business owners here in Indiana are ending the year with positive growth, however, many industries, especially the service and retail industry, are still struggling,” said Barbara Quandt, NFIB state director in Indiana. “The good news is that more small business owners are looking to hire, but according to this new survey, many are still having trouble finding qualified workers to fill those positions.”

NFIB said 34% of survey respondents (seasonally adjusted) reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, up one point from October. At least 89% of those owners trying to hire reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill, while 27% of respondents reported few qualified applications for their positions and 20% reported receiving no qualified applications for positions.