(RALEIGH) -- Gregg Thompson, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, said North Carolina's upcoming sales tax holiday will be a big help to families and small businesses still recovering from the recession. This year's tax holiday is Aug. 3-5.

“The sales tax holiday is kind of like the day after Thanksgiving," said Thompson. "It gets people fired up and puts them in the mood to shop, and that's exactly what our economy needs right now. The more we can encourage spending at our small businesses, the more jobs we'll save, and the faster our economy will recover."

Small business represents a significant part of the North Carolina's economy. According the NFIB-NC small business accounts for 98 percent of all state employers. Small businesses also employ 48 percent of the state's private-sector workforce.