Attendees testify before House Workforce Development hearing, receive legislative updates from Lieutenant Governor Kehoe, Chairman Brown, and Senior Advisor & Chief Counselor to the Attorney General Wagner
JEFFERSON CITY (April 20, 2023) – The National Federation of Business (NFIB) here in Missouri hosted Small Business Day in Jefferson City. During the event, NFIB members testified before the House Workforce and Infrastructure Development Committee. After the hearing, attendees received a legislative update from Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, NFIB Member and Chairman of the House Small Business Committee Rep. Chris Brown, and Ray Wagner, Senior Advisor, and Chief Counselor to the Attorney General.
While testifying before the House hearing, NFIB members discussed the ongoing labor shortage and solutions before the General Assembly. Mike King, an NFIB member small business owner who works to connect workers with employment opportunities described the difficult challenge of maintaining a skilled workforce:
“Turnover the past few years is higher than I’ve ever seen it. In 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a turnover rate of 57.3 percent. In my territory alone over the past decade, I’ve seen six times as many people ‘no call, no show,’ two times as many people quit, six and a half times as many people quit or walk off the job, and six and a half times as many people ‘no call, no show’ after starting [a job]. We’ve had to process and place roughly three times as many candidates to get the same return as we did three years ago.”
King concluded his testimony by asking the Committee to keep small business owners’ hiring challenges in mind when considering legislation:
“Incentives drive behavior: good or bad. Intended or unintended. As this Committee moves forward, I would respectfully ask that you examine the various workforce-related incentives that are currently in place or that you’re thinking about establishing to accomplish and drive your goals, and to ensure that they’re driving the desired positive outcomes for all parties: the workforce, small business, and the state of Missouri.”
During the legislative update, Lieutenant Governor Kehoe said:
“Thank you for coming to the Capitol. It always makes a difference when lawmakers can see the actual people who run businesses in their district and hire workers in their district. […] Eighty percent of our nation and state’s economy relies on small businesses. It’s the backbone of who we are as a state. It is our economy. And it’s incredibly important for us to make sure we don’t lose sight of what it is you need and what it is you don’t need – where we can stay out of your way.”
After awarding Chairman Brown an ‘NFIB member’ plaque, NFIB State Director Brad Jones said:
“Today, our members underscored why job creators need tax relief, as inflation continues to put pressure on prices. The General Assembly also has an opportunity to bolster the workforce, which is badly needed, as many small business owners are trying to bridge the gap left by the labor shortage. Having our small business owners come to the Capitol to talk about the challenges they face helps our lawmakers craft better policies. We’ll continue to work with the Legislature to make it easier to do business here in the Show Me State.”
