What the Latest Jobs Report Means for Pool Service Companies

The August jobs report revealed a telling shift in the U.S. labor market: small business job openings have dropped to their lowest level since July 2020. While the economy overall appears stable, this cooling trend is impacting how service-based companies—like pool service providers—recruit, retain, and manage their teams.

According to the survey, 32% of small business owners reported having job openings they could not fill in August, a slight drop from July. Openings for skilled workers stood at 28%, down one point, while openings for unskilled labor rose to 13%, up one point. The takeaway? Finding the right talent remains a top challenge, even if the total number of openings is trending downward.

“Small business owners with job openings are still looking for qualified applicants, many citing labor quality as their single most important problem,” said Bill Dunkelberg, Chief Economist. Rosemary Elebash of NFIB added that, while hiring has slowed, businesses are still struggling to find employees with the right experience.

What This Means for Pool Service Companies

For pool service businesses, these trends are especially relevant. Technicians require specialized knowledge and training, and hiring the wrong person can quickly lead to dissatisfied customers or costly mistakes. With fewer qualified workers available, owners are forced to do more with leaner teams.

This environment makes efficiency and automation more critical than ever. Companies that streamline operations—scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and customer communication—can thrive even if they’re running with fewer employees. Pool service owners who embrace technology will free up their limited staff to focus on high-value work while ensuring no revenue slips through the cracks.

How ProValet Can Help

ProValet was built with these challenges in mind. Our platform helps pool service companies:

• Automate scheduling and dispatch so technicians can maximize their routes.
• Manage customer communication seamlessly through the ProValet app.
• Capture every dollar of revenue with Active Invoicing™ and automated billing.
• Gain real-time visibility into operations without adding administrative overhead.

As the labor market cools and hiring remains competitive, investing in smarter systems is the best way to keep your pool service business strong, efficient, and profitable.
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👉 Ready to see how ProValet can help you grow, even with a leaner team? Set up a demo today.

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