SEATTLE – Today, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce released a new survey of business decision-makers highlighting the opportunities and challenges owners and managers face when thinking about Seattle’s environment for employers.
Fifty-four percent of respondents from a wide range of local businesses – half had fewer than 20 employees – say public safety/crime/guns/drugs is the single most important problem facing the Seattle business community. Eight out of 10 respondents want their employees to work at their Seattle location more frequently (81%), but 72% of respondents also said their employees don’t want to come to work because Seattle-based employees are worried about their personal safety.
These concerns align overwhelmingly with voters’ concerns. The Chamber’s latest Index research released last month revealed public safety also ranked as a top concern for registered voters in Seattle and a majority (60%) of Seattle voters continue to say they feel less safe in their neighborhoods.
“It is sobering to see these public safety concerns from employers, employees, and the voters, but where there is consensus, there is also opportunity, and I believe we can make progress with a consorted effort by our public officials and other community leaders,” said Rachel Smith, president, and CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber. “Employers want to hire more employees, want connections to BIPOC vendors, and a majority are maintaining their office spaces – these are indicators that addressing quality-of-life issues like public safety will unlock latent economic potential.”
“This survey provides policymakers with a clear picture of the challenges and opportunities businesses face when thinking about Seattle as a place to continue doing business,” said Andrew Thibault, senior principal of EMC Research.
The survey also shows indicators of growth and stability: 71% say they are very or somewhat likely to hire more employees and 58% said they have made no change to their company work site space because of the pandemic or remote work. Additionally, 67% of survey respondents also believe we need more technical assistance and support for small businesses, especially minority-owned firms, and an overwhelming 82% believe that having more connections to BIPOC vendors and suppliers can help build a more equitable and inclusive economy.
Even though 53% of respondents do not believe Seattle is trending in the right direction for Seattle’s business community, they indicate a strong attachment to Seattle, with 75% saying their businesses are committed to maintaining a presence in the city.
Other “very important” issues highlighted in the survey include:
- Street and sidewalk cleanliness (76%)
- The cost of doing business in Seattle (64%)
- The cost of rent for work site space (67%)
This survey gathered 129 responses from a wide range of business decision-makers:
- Half of the respondents were from businesses with fewer than 20 employees, one quarter had 20-99 employees, and one quarter had 100+ employees.
- Half of the respondents had businesses located in downtown Seattle, with the rest spread out across the city.
- The 129 responses represented a wide array of industries with professional/technical services leading the way at 17%, followed by arts, entertainment, and recreation at 11%.
Polling was conducted by EMC Research, which received 129 responses to an online survey from business representatives who make business location and operations decisions for their sites in the city of Seattle. Responses were collected from Oct. 15-29, 2023. In-depth data can be found at www.seattlechamber.com.
About the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
The Seattle Metropolitan (Seattle Metro) Chamber of Commerce is the regional business advocacy organization that engages the innovation and entrepreneurship of its 2,500 members to promote inclusive economic prosperity. Founded in 1882 by local business leaders, the Chamber today is an independent organization representing a regional workforce of approximately 750,000. For more information, visit www.seattlechamber.com.
Media contact: Jillian Henze, APR
Cell: (425) 785-6731
