Small-business hiring grew slightly in November, after losing ground since August, according to the CBIZ small business employment index, released today.

The index, a barometer for hiring trends among companies with 300 or fewer employees, rose 0.35 percent in November following a 1.28 percent drop in October.

Hiring rose slightly in November, with 23 percent decreasing employee headcount and 24 percent adding staff; the remaining companies did not change their staffing levels, for a net one percent of small businesses adding workers.

“The small business owners we’re engaged with still remain cautious because of continued economic concerns; however a slight increase in employee hiring has been traced to the holiday shopping season,” said Philip Noftsinger, business unit president for CBIZ Payroll Services. “While that may not inspire confidence in terms of future economic growth, those numbers are modestly better than in 2009 and 2010. Our biggest hope for sustained job growth is a robust holiday season and continued growth in capital spending by small businesses.”

CBIZ Payroll Services manages payroll services for more than 3,000 businesses that employ fewer than 300 people. The sample reflects a broad array of industries and geographies corresponding to the markets across the United States where CBIZ provides services.