Washington, D.C. —U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-ID) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chairman and Ranking  Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, announced Senate passage of a bipartisan resolution to recognize November 25, 2017, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, as “Small Business Saturday.” 

“Main Street America creates 2 out of every 3 new jobs in our country,”  said Chairman Risch. “Small Business Saturday is an opportunity for all Americans to rally behind these local, independently-owned businesses and support the entrepreneurs who keep our families employed. The Senate’s unanimous approval of our bipartisan resolution reinforces this institution’s full, unwavering commitment to our small business community.”

“Small businesses employ almost half our country’s workforce and make enormous economic and cultural contributions to our communities,”  said Senator Shaheen.  “As the holiday season approaches, I encourage Americans to make a point of shopping and dining at local, independently owned businesses in New Hampshire and across the country.  Even better, let’s support these small businesses all year long.”

The Risch/Shaheen bipartisan “Small Business Saturday” resolution recognizes the invaluable contributions small businesses make to our nation’s economy. With over 29 million small businesses in the United States, small businesses:

• Represent 99.9 percent of all firms in the U.S.

• Employ more than 47 percent of employees in the private sector 

• Constitute 98 percent of firms exporting goods

• Pay 41 percent of total private sector payroll 

• Generated more than 61 percent net new jobs between 1993-2016

The full text of the Risch/Shaheen “Small Business Saturday” resolution is  here.