Seventy-five percent of California small-business operators offer health-care coverage to their employees, according to the latest American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor survey.
Survey officials said today that far outpaced the national average of 59 percent.
The survey said only 37 percent of California small businesses plan to hire over the next six months. However, that was up significantly from 22 percent last fall.
The mixed bag of results also included this: Fifty-seven percent of California business owners report having cash flow issues, up from 51 percent last fall.
"The research clearly shows that we cannot look at any one economic indicator in a vacuum to predict small business investment behavior," said Susan Sobbott, president of American Express OPEN. "While small business owners are more optimistic about the economic recovery, they are not turning a blind eye to the uncertainty that lingers.
"They are waiting for more proof that the recovery is real and sustainable before investing heavily in growth initiatives."
