FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2026
October 20, 2026
Contact:
AFGE Communications
[email protected]
AFGE Calls on Small Business Administration to Halt Planned Office Relocations
Union tells Congress that moves outside city centers could prompt exodus of experienced workers and make it harder for the public to access agency
|
WASHINGTON – The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents more than 700 federal employees at the Small Business Administration, says the agency’s plans to move many of its field offices outside of city centers could force experienced workers to quit and make it harder for the agency to serve small business owners. SBA has notified AFGE that it plans to relocate several field offices beginning next year, including moving the Boston office to Southborough, Mass.; the Washington office to Herndon, Va.; the Atlanta office to Marietta, Ga.; and the Denver office to Englewood, Colo. The agency also is reportedly considering relocating offices currently in New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. All of these relocations would move SBA offices out of city centers and to suburban areas that are less accessible by public transportation. “These moves come with significant consequences for the federal workforce and the American public. Longer and more difficult commutes, particularly when proposed locations are not readily accessible by public transportation, can make it substantially harder for SBA to retain experienced employees. The result could be a significant loss of institutional knowledge and expertise as employees with years or decades of experience choose to leave rather than accept substantially more burdensome commutes,” AFGE Local 228 President Niklas Gustafsson said. SBA has not shared any analysis of what impact these proposed relocations would have on the agency’s operating costs and the public’s ability to access SBA services. Losing experienced employees would have a direct financial cost to the agency in having to replace the departing workers, and the resulting loss of seasoned staff could undermine the agency’s ability to serve its small business customers. In an Oct. 20 letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Small Business Committees, Gustafsson urged Congress to pause the relocations until SBA publicly releases a full impact assessment, and to require the agency to consult with AFGE and affected employees and consider less disruptive alternatives. AFGE National President Everett Kelley called on the agency to change course immediately. “I call on Administrator Kelly Loeffler to stop these office moves now,” Kelley said. “SBA should not move a single office until it can show the benefits outweigh the costs to employees, taxpayers, and the small business owners it serves.” #####
|
WASHINGTON – The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents more than 700 federal employees at the Small Business Administration, says the agency’s plans to move many of its field offices outside of city centers could force experienced workers to quit and make it harder for the agency to serve small business owners.
SBA has notified AFGE that it plans to relocate several field offices beginning next year, including moving the Boston office to Southborough, Mass.; the Washington office to Herndon, Va.; the Atlanta office to Marietta, Ga.; and the Denver office to Englewood, Colo. The agency also is reportedly considering relocating offices currently in New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
All of these relocations would move SBA offices out of city centers and to suburban areas that are less accessible by public transportation.
“These moves come with significant consequences for the federal workforce and the American public. Longer and more difficult commutes, particularly when proposed locations are not readily accessible by public transportation, can make it substantially harder for SBA to retain experienced employees. The result could be a significant loss of institutional knowledge and expertise as employees with years or decades of experience choose to leave rather than accept substantially more burdensome commutes,” AFGE Local 228 President Niklas Gustafsson said.
SBA has not shared any analysis of what impact these proposed relocations would have on the agency’s operating costs and the public’s ability to access SBA services. Losing experienced employees would have a direct financial cost to the agency in having to replace the departing workers, and the resulting loss of seasoned staff could undermine the agency’s ability to serve its small business customers.
In an Oct. 20 letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Small Business Committees, Gustafsson urged Congress to pause the relocations until SBA publicly releases a full impact assessment, and to require the agency to consult with AFGE and affected employees and consider less disruptive alternatives.
AFGE National President Everett Kelley called on the agency to change course immediately.
“I call on Administrator Kelly Loeffler to stop these office moves now,” Kelley said. “SBA should not move a single office until it can show the benefits outweigh the costs to employees, taxpayers, and the small business owners it serves.”
###
Click here to Donate to the AFGE Federal Employee Defense Fund.
For the latest AFGE news and information, visit the AFGE Media Center.
Follow us on:
