Average hourly wages at businesses running Homebase Payroll were 6.8% higher in September than a year earlier, at $16.76, the fastest growth since January. Paychex’s separate small-business measure showed 2.78% growth; the two cover different employers and methods.
Homebase says small-business hiring turned positive year over year, Paychex calls small-business employment steady, and QuickBooks estimates microbusinesses shed jobs. The reports cover different employers, months and measures, and should not be averaged.
