June 5, 2012 > Bank of America hires small business bankers Bank of America hires small business bankers Submitted By Ben Tanner Bank of America has hired more than 70 small business bankers throughout Northern California to provide guidance to local small business owners. The additions are part of the company's previously announced plan to hire approximately 1,000 small business bankers nationwide. * Bay Area - 31 hires * Fresno Area - 14 hires * Sacramento - 14 hires * San Jose and Monterey Bay - 15 hires According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are more than 3.4 million small businesses in California. These businesses represent over 99 percent of all employers and over half (51 percent) of the private-sector workforce. In the Bay Area alone, there are more than 85,000 small and new startup companies, representing 98 percent of the city's businesses. Additionally, according to the 2011 Index of Silicon Valley, the number of start-up companies in the Silicon Valley area continues to grow with new firm openings increasing by 48 percent, resulting in 20,200 net new business establishments, in recent years. For more information, visit www.bankofamerica.com