Do 90% of all U.S. jobs come from small businesses?
No.
Small businesses –– defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration as companies with fewer than 500 employees –– employ 62.3 million people in America, which accounts for nearly 46% of private sector workers.
Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds said during an Aug. 21 NBC interview that 90% of jobs in the U.S. come from small businesses. It was part of a broader point to back how he believes President Donald Trump’s economic agenda has been successful and supports small businesses.
SBA attributes 9 out of 10 new net jobs created to small businesses, which is likely what Donalds was referring to. However, net jobs factor increases and decreases over a period of time, subtracting jobs lost with ones gained. That’s different from tallying “all” jobs in America, making Donalds’ statement misleading.
In 2025, Florida had the third-highest number of small businesses in the country at 3.49 million.
This Fact Brief was written by Clinton Engelberger and originally published by Suncoast Searchlight. It is responsive to conversations such as this one.
About Fact Briefs:
Fact Briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact Briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network. Each brief is limited to 150 words or fewer and is not intended to provide an in-depth analysis, but rather to deliver concise, definitive answers grounded in verified information.
Sources
- Small Business Administration 2025 Report
- Small Business Administration FAQ
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