Small business employment falls again in Sept

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Employment at U.S. small businesses fell for a fourth straight month in September, a survey showed in Thursday, suggesting a weak payrolls number in the government's employment report due on Friday.

The National Federation of Independent Business said its survey of 729 small businesses found that the average number of workers per firm dropped by 0.3 workers last month after falling by 0.1 in August.

The survey was published ahead of the release of the government's more comprehensive nonfarm payroll count on Friday. Nonfarm employment likely increased 60,000 in September, according to a Reuters poll, after being flat in August.

The unemployment rate is seen steady at 9.1 percent.

"Overall, the employment picture is weak. We are anticipating a weak payroll number and little change in the unemployment rate," said the NFIB in a statement.

Fourteen percent of respondents reported unfilled job openings last month, down a point from August.

Over the next three months, 11 percent plan to increase employment, unchanged from August, while 12 percent said they would reduce their workforces. That was unchanged from August.