More than three-quarters of U.S. small businesses are confident about hiring this year, but a growing number say it’s becoming increasingly difficult to hire the right people, according to a Robert Half survey of more than 250 U.S. small business leaders. One cause stands out in the data. 54 percent say AI-generated applications have made it more difficult to get hired.
For solopreneurs and small business owners hiring contractors or employees for the first time, this finding has implications in two ways. The flood of machine-written resumes has made it harder to find real talent, and the same tools have increased the competition freelancers face when marketing their work.
What we learned from the survey
The poll surveyed businesses with fewer than 100 employees, with 76% reporting confidence in their hiring prospects over the next year. At the same time, 47% say it’s harder to find skilled talent than it was a year ago, and only 12% say they currently have the talent they need to complete their high-priority projects.
Robert Half announced the results on May 13, 2026, during National Small Business Month. The study also found that small businesses accounted for the largest proportion of open positions across several specialty areas, with legal fields at 66%, management and customer support at 64%, and marketing and creative fields at 63%.
Why this matters for self-employed owners
Legal, administrative support, and marketing are the very first functions that independent contractors outsource. When small employers cannot fulfill these roles in-house, work flows to independent contractors and freelancers, creating an avenue for self-employed professionals who can enter without the need for lengthy training periods.
The problem with AI adoption is the flip side of that. With more than half of small employers struggling to distinguish between genuine candidates and bot-generated candidates, freelancers who submit generic and clearly machine-drafted proposals risk being weeded out before a human can read them. Now, it’s less about polish and more about specificity and proof of real work.
What self-employed readers should do next
Lead with evidence that bots cannot fake. Reference real-world projects from your clients, link to relevant samples, and keep your proposals short and specific rather than relying on AI to supplement them. The same scrutiny that drives employers crazy is your opportunity to differentiate yourself.
Position yourself for outsourced overflow. If a small business in your area is unable to hire marketing, administrative, or professional support, package a clear scope and price for the job and contact them directly instead of waiting for job postings. The tight labor market for employees is creating a referral pipeline for contractors, and this pattern is visible in recent labor market data.
What to watch next
As employers push back against automated applications, we expect more hiring platforms to deploy AI detection and verification capabilities. That could change the way freelancers represent themselves in the marketplace, with more emphasis on verified portfolios and background checks.
The talent gap is unlikely to close quickly. As long as small employers claim they don’t have enough people to get their priorities done, there will be a strong demand for skilled independent helpers, and self-employed professionals who market themselves as low-friction professionals are in a good position to capture it.
Photo: Vitaly Gariev: Unsplash
