Small Businesses Cut Hiring Plans to 9%, Leaving Openings Unfilled as Work Rules Hit 1 Million Californians
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jun 15
Small Businesses Cut Hiring Plans to 9%, Leaving Openings Unfilled as Work Rules Hit 1 Million Californians
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jun 15
Summary
NFIB data show small-business hiring intentions have fallen to their lowest level since May 2020, while unfilled job openings are shrinking because owners are eliminating roles rather than filling them.
9% of owners plan to create jobs in the next three months, with businesses citing economic uncertainty, weak investment appetite, tariffs and the loss of incentives for electrified technologies.
Santa Rosa-based Renewables Inc., which employs eight people, said tariff pressure and vanished policy support have stalled expansion even though it could grow faster with fresh investment.
California's tightening work requirements raise the stakes: food benefits already require 20 hours a week, and Medi-Cal rules could soon push nearly 1 million residents to seek more work hours.
Santa Clara County alone could see 55,000 people lose food aid and 129,000 begin losing Medi-Cal coverage, underscoring how a small-business hiring slump can spill into the safety net.