FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5,2025 – LOS ANGELES, CA — In a comprehensive snapshot of the Southern California business climate, the Los Angeles Business Federation (BizFed) the influential alliance of diverse business associations, today released the results of its annual Pulse Poll. The survey, now a benchmark for regional business sentiment, reflects the perspectives of 245 top business organizations across 28 industries—including over 65% representation from C-suite decision-makers. This year’s Pulse Poll data highlights a clear trend: in Southern California, business uncertainty is at its highest point since the pandemic, business optimism has declined for the second straight year, and regulatory pressure has overtaken crime as a top concern.
“The gap between business optimism and pessimism is now the narrowest we’ve ever recorded,” said BizFed Founding CEO Tracy Hernandez. “This is a loud alarm. The data paints a clear picture of a business community who are struggling with pressures that are not yet resonating with law makers. We’re here to ring that bell!”
Key Findings Include:
- Top Business Concerns: Taxes and fees, government regulation, interest rates, and the cost of energy top the list. Homelessness and crime also remain major issues.
- Divergent Priorities by Business Size: Smaller businesses (50 employees or fewer) are most concerned about taxes and basic costs, while larger employers cite compliance, wage increases and negative regional perceptions.
- Government Performance Ratings: A staggering 80% of respondents are dissatisfied with local government efforts to improve affordability. Dissatisfaction also runs high around homelessness (74%), traffic (69%), and regulatory overreach (65%).
- Tourism Concerns: Business leaders cite homelessness (86%) and crime (73%) as top deterrents to tourism in the Los Angeles region.
Despite the challenges, confidence in government showed a slight uptick across all levels—a potential indicator of an individual respondent’s hopes for more business-friendly policies at the beginning of new political terms at the local, state and federal levels.
“This poll underscores the urgent need for policymakers to cut red tape, manage costs, and restore confidence in the region’s economic future,” said 2025 BizFed Chair Angela Gibson Shaw (Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce).
The 2025 Pulse Poll was guided by BizFed’s Polling & Messaging Committee, co-chaired by Kimberly Caceres (Torrance Refinery/PBF Energy) George Francisco (Venice Chamber of Commerce) Sherif Hanna (Beacon Economics), Joanne McClaskey (Industry Business Council) and Tom Ross (Swing Strategies) with data collected from the nearly 800 respondents from the period of February 21 – March 14, 2025.
For a full breakdown of the 2025 Pulse Poll data, visit bizfedlacounty.org.
BIZFED 2025 PULSE POLL CRITICAL DATA INSIGHTS:
Sentiment Snapshot
- Optimism: Down to 29%, from 37% in 2024 and 45% in 2023
- Pessimism: Up to 24%
- Uncertainty: Soaring to 46% (highest since 2008 debut of BizFed Pulse Poll)
Top 10 Business Concerns
- Taxes & Fees – 94.12%
- Affordability – 93.91%
- Interest Rates – 93.49%
- Crime – 93.49%
- Cost of Electricity, Natural Gas & Fuel – 93.49%
- Minimum Wage Increases – 93.18%
- Government Regulation & Compliance – 92.86%
- Inflation – 92.54%
- Homelessness – 92.22%
- Local Permit Process – 91.91%
Notably, regulation and compliance concerns surged, pushing crime out of the top three for the first time in five years.
Size Matters: Diverging Priorities by Business Scale
| 50 or Fewer Employees | More than 50 Employees |
| Taxes & Fees (95.21%) | Regulation/Compliance (97.47%) |
| Energy Costs (94.89%) | Interest Rates (96.20%) |
| Homelessness (94.25%) | Minimum Wage Increases (96.20%) |
Smaller businesses are focused on survival costs, while larger firms are grappling with labor and legislative burdens.
Government Satisfaction: A Failing Grade
- 80% are dissatisfied with local efforts to improve affordability
- 74% disapprove of homelessness responses
- 69% are unhappy with traffic and mobility efforts
- 68% cite failure to impose reasonable taxes and fees
- 65% say government is doing poorly in avoiding over-regulation
Despite this, confidence in government rose slightly—perhaps in anticipation of change.
Tourism & Regional Image at Risk
Business leaders say the following are discouraging tourism in Los Angeles:
- Homelessness – 86%
- Crime – 73%
- Traffic Congestion – 67%
- High Costs – 65%
BizFed: A Coalition Voice for Economic Stability
The 2025 Pulse Poll was guided by BizFed’s Polling & Messaging Committee, co-chaired by Kimberly Caceres (Torrance Refinery/PBF Energy) George Francisco (Venice Chamber of Commerce) Sherif Hanna (Beacon Economics), Joanne McClaskey (Industry Business Council) and Tom Ross (Swing Strategies).
Full Results & Media Kit Available:
Visit bizfedlacounty.org to access detailed charts, historical comparisons, and media resources.
Contact:
Elizabeth Daubel, BizFed Communications Director
elizabeth.daubel@bizfed.org
