Our Research: Workforce
While small business owners spend their days concentrating on whatever their particular specialty is--be it marketing services, dry cleaning or landscaping, there's one thing they all have in common: they have to contend with a host of larger issues ranging from employee pay and benefits, medical leave issues, nondiscrimination and more. These are issues they deal with often times on a daily basis, which means they know better than most what kind of solutions would be helpful when shaping public policy. The topics below clearly outline small business owners' opinions on these important workforce topics.
California lawmakers are weighing a proposal to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test for customers at consumer-facing businesses and to similarly require employers to mandate vaccinations or negative COVID-19 tests for employees. New opinion polling from Small Business Majority reveals that small businesses in California are supportive of proposals to mandate vaccinations and testing at places of business to help ensure local economies can operate safely, amid setbacks from the current surge in COVID-19 cases.
As lawmakers in Washington consider a robust budget reconciliation package to invest in “human infrastructure” and debate how to pay for this plan, Small Business Majority surveyed small business owners and managers of operations at small businesses around the country to better understand their views on our tax system, as well as their opinions on tax policies that have been proposed to offset the costs of the human infrastructure plan.
As Congress debates a bipartisan infrastructure plan and a larger $3.5 trillion investment in “human infrastructure,” Small Business Majority surveyed its network to understand their views on key issues being considered such as child care and paid family and medical leave.
The COVID-19 pandemic has strained Georgia’s economy and public health system, while small businesses across the state continue to face significant financial setbacks that are hampering their recovery. A new survey sheds light on the state of small business in Georgia, as well as their views on policy solutions that can boost their businesses and provide important support to their employees.
Nearly a year into the COVID-19
On October 21, Small Business Majority released a new report on small business challenges in hiring and training employees in California and their struggles accessing the broader workforce development ecosystem. The report reveals findings from an online survey of small business owners across the state, as well as separate focus group discussions, interviews and other convenings that provide insights into the ways small business owners approach hiring and training. It also provides recommendations for stakeholders to better engage their local small employers.
It’s no secret that California has been hard hit by the spread of COVID-19, with a vast 2.7 million applying for unemployment in the past four weeks, and the impacts have been particularly severe on small businesses that have seen their revenues take a nosedive overnight. With the economy on pause, Main Street has been left to cope with how to stay afloat during this unprecedented time.
It’s no secret that the spread of COVID-19 around the country has already had a devastating impact on small businesses. With the economy on pause and uncertainty gripping communities across the country, Main Street has been left to cope with how to stay afloat during this unprecedented time.
California Governor Newsom and state policymakers are discussing options to further expand California's Paid Family Leave program and ensure more Californians are able to utilize it by increasing wage replacement, extending the amount of leave time available and expanding job protection status for parental leave. As with any discussion of workplace benefits and employment laws, the impact to small business is central to this debate. New scientific opinion polling sheds light on their views on the different proposals and reveals they are in fact supportive of numerous options on the table.
Policymakers at all levels, from town councils to the halls of Capitol Hill, emphasize the challenges of small businesses as a key talking point during political debates. But new opinion polling in four states—Illinois, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin—reveals small businesses feel their government officials don’t actually understand their challenges, and they support a wide array of policies to address their needs, some of which might come as a surprise to their elected officials.
