Small businesses were more optimistic in May, but hiring still fell, according to the SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard. Hiring fell 0.3 percent in May even though optimism rose for the fifth straight month.

“We appear to be in a jobless recovery,” said SurePayroll CEO and President Michael Alter. “Many small businesses are doing well and feeling good about the economy with optimism on the rise, however there hasn’t been sufficient growth to hire.”

The scorecard survey asked small-business owners what conditions were necessary to hire, and they listed too much to do, demand and specific expertise to meet clients’ needs. On the other hand, the top challenges they listed included finding qualified candidates, understanding what they need and finding the right candidate for the salary offered.

“The demand isn’t there and small businesses have become more efficient, which often means less hiring,” Alter said. “For those looking to hire, it’s not easy to find the specific critical skills you need. Until we see more demand, whether it’s from new businesses or an increasingly robust housing market, we’re not likely to get the full recovery we want.”

SurePayroll's Scorecard compiles data from more than 40,000 small businesses, and exclusively reflects the trends affecting businesses with an average of eight employees.

SurePayroll Inc. provides online payroll services to small businesses. It is a subsidiary of Paychex Inc. (NASD: PAYX).