Survey finds 76 Percent of Small Businesses Believe Immigration Reform Could Negatively Impact their Business

SAN LEANDRO, Calif. – April 25, 2017 – TriNet (NYSE: TNET), a leading cloud-based provider of HR services today released the findings of a survey with more than 750 respondents[1] from small and midsize businesses (SMBs) serving the technology, life sciences and financial services industries. In their responses, the surveyed business owners, executives and other hiring decision-makers show a disconnect between the Trump administration’s immigration reform policies and the hiring needs of SMBs in the professional sector.

Immigration reform will have negative impact
76% of respondents[2] state that no longer being able to hire or employ foreign nationals would have a negative impact on their business.

SMBs also believe some immigration reform is necessary
78% of respondents agree with the idea that the current U.S. immigration system should be reformed. But nearly the same amount (76%) answered “no” when asked if the Trump administration understands how immigration reform will affect SMBs.

The H-1B visa process is a major issue
For respondents sponsoring H-1B visas, the lottery has a whopping 71% of them stressed out. Additionally, 59% of respondents want greater allocation for SMBs in the H-1B visa lottery. Furthermore, 68% of respondents find it disruptive to their business when their H-1B visa applications don’t get selected.

Small businesses are concerned about the larger effects of immigration reform
83% of respondents believe that not being able to hire foreign nationals would have a negative impact on the U.S. economy, with the same amount agreeing that immigration regulations will become more burdensome in the next four years.

Supporting Quotes

Burton M. Goldfield, President and CEO, TriNet

“Hiring and retaining top talent is a key factor for the success of any business. Many of our clients depend on finding the best talent by casting a wide net for their recruiting efforts. This often means hiring qualified foreign nationals. While many small businesses agree that some type of immigration reform is necessary, it is imperative that the Trump administration listens to small business needs when making any changes to our current immigration policy.”

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About TriNet

TriNet is a leading provider of a comprehensive human resources solution for small to midsize businesses, or SMBs. We enhance business productivity by enabling our clients to outsource their human resources, or HR, function to one strategic partner and allowing them to focus on operating and growing their core businesses. Our HR solution includes services such as payroll processing, human capital consulting, employment law compliance and employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans and workers’ compensation insurance. Our services are delivered by our expert team of HR professionals and enabled by our proprietary, cloud-based technology platform, which allows our clients and their employees to efficiently conduct their HR transactions anytime and anywhere. For more information, please visit https://www.trinet.com.

Media Contact:

Fatima Afzal                             
TriNet                                                   
Fatima.Afzal@TriNet.com                     
(510) 875-7265                                     

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