Research

Which industries create the most jobs per SBA dollar?

SBA 7(a) and 504 loans report supporting 5,161,559 jobs, about 17.7 jobs for every $1M lent. But that ratio swings widely by industry: Administrative and Support reports 30.8, roughly 3.0x Real Estate.

By Mario Bailey · Source: SBA FOIA 7(a) and 504 data, as of 2026-03-31

What we measured. Jobs supported (as reported on each loan) divided by dollars approved, by industry sector, for sectors with at least 5,000 loans. Jobs counts are self-reported by borrowers, and this is a ratio, not a causal estimate.

Jobs reported per $1M lent, by industry

Administrative and Support 30.8 jobs/$1M · 24,423 loans

Construction 22 jobs/$1M · 56,798 loans

Educational Services 20.8 jobs/$1M · 7,498 loans

Transportation and Warehousing 20.4 jobs/$1M · 24,731 loans

Health Care and Social Assistance 20.3 jobs/$1M · 52,278 loans

Accommodation and Food Services 20.2 jobs/$1M · 64,048 loans

Arts, Entertainment, Recreation 18.5 jobs/$1M · 16,558 loans

Professional and Technical Services 17.7 jobs/$1M · 45,481 loans

Manufacturing 17.3 jobs/$1M · 36,545 loans

Other Services 16.2 jobs/$1M · 46,401 loans

Retail Trade 12.4 jobs/$1M · 59,208 loans

Finance and Insurance 11.6 jobs/$1M · 8,915 loans

Wholesale Trade 11 jobs/$1M · 23,373 loans

Real Estate 10.3 jobs/$1M · 12,909 loans

What it means

Labor-intensive sectors like Administrative and Support report the most jobs per dollar, while capital-intensive sectors like Real Estate report the fewest, because their loans fund real estate and equipment more than payroll. It is a useful lens on the economic footprint of SBA lending, not a measure of which businesses are better bets. See how lending breaks down by industry.

Method, sources, and disclaimer. Computed from the public SBA FOIA 7(a) and 504 data (as of 2026-03-31); see our methodology. Jobs supported is a borrower-reported field. SBA Loan Index is not affiliated with the SBA and is not a lender, broker, or financial advisor.

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