Workforce

Small business owners know it makes good business sense to care for their employees, and they also genuinely care for the people who work for them. However, they often struggle to provide key benefits, including paid family and medical leave, which they believe would help them recruit and retain their workers. A new national scientific opinion poll conducted for Small Business Majority and the National Partnership for Women & Families by Lake Research Partners found that 79% of small business owners support the creation of a national paid family and medical leave program that would guarantee employees wage replacement for up to 12 weeks, funded by 0.5% employer and employee contributions each.

The lack of childcare funding and access to affordable childcare has put a significant burden on working parents and has impeded the ability of small businesses to retain a skilled workforce. Additionally, for entrepreneurs with children of their own, it’s preventing many from being able to launch or grow successful businesses. Although several states have taken steps to fill gaps in childcare investments, federal action is needed to solve the childcare funding cliff and ensure more individuals can own or work for a small business. Small Business Majority’s new national opinion poll of small business owners reveals they believe that policymakers should take steps to address the cost of childcare, and that they strongly support a variety of legislative solutions.

Small Business Majority’s new poll of Texas small business owners reveals strong support for legislative solutions that would remove barriers for justice-impacted individuals by making reforms to occupational licensing and debt-based driver’s license suspensions. These politically diverse small business owners believe these measures would enable employers to tap into an underutilized workforce and open up opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Small Business Majority’s new poll of North Carolina small business owners reveals strong support for legislative solutions that would remove barriers for justice-impacted individuals by making reforms to occupational licensing and debt-based driver’s license suspensions. These politically diverse small business owners believe these measures would enable employers to tap into an underutilized workforce and open up opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Small Business Majority’s new poll of Illinois small business owners reveals strong support for legislative solutions that would remove barriers for justice-impacted individuals by making reforms to occupational licensing and debt-based driver’s license suspensions. These politically diverse small business owners believe these measures would enable employers to tap into an underutilized workforce and open up opportunities for entrepreneurship.

While small businesses employ nearly half (46.4%) of the private workforce in the United States, many are struggling to hire and retain a ready workforce. Our poll of Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas small business owners reveals strong support for legislative solutions that would remove barriers for justice-impacted individuals by making reforms to occupational licensing and debt-based driver’s license suspensions. These politically diverse small business owners believe these measures would enable employers to tap into an underutilized workforce and open up opportunities for entrepreneurship.