This page covers what is specific to Santa Barbara: local employers, seasonal hiring, and where to get help. For the statewide rules, see the CalSavers requirements and deadlines.
ZIP codes with a Santa Barbara mailing address had 5,868 business locations in 2023, with about 68,000 people on payroll in the March pay period.
CalSavers applies from the first employee, so each of those 5,868 locations belongs to an employer that, if it is a business that meets the state's other conditions (such as time in business), needs either its own retirement plan or the state program.
The most common types of business in these ZIP codes are professional, scientific and technical services (948 locations), health care and social assistance (816 locations) and retail trade (558 locations). Across Santa Barbara County, the largest industry by employment is accommodation and food services (27,136 jobs), and private leisure and hospitality employment ran from 27,312 in January 2024 to 28,831 in June 2024.
707 of the 5,868 business locations in Santa Barbara's ZIP codes are in accommodation and food services or arts, entertainment and recreation, the leisure and hospitality industries where staffing levels tend to change with the season. California counts employees under Cal. Code Regs. tit. 10, §10001(a). The rule reads: “average number of employees during the previous calendar year, as reported to EDD on Form DE 9C for the quarter ending Dec 31 and the preceding three quarters”. If your Santa Barbara business's headcount rises and falls during the year, that wording decides whether you meet the threshold, so confirm your status with CalSavers.
Free one-on-one advising for Santa Barbara businesses is available from the Economic Development Collaborative SBDC, the Los Angeles Regional SBDC Network center for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, hosted by the Economic Development Collaborative.
Local business network for Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce.
CalSavers employer assistance: 855-650-6916.
If your business has at least one employee in California and offers no qualified retirement plan, CalSavers requires you to register or certify an exemption. All announced registration deadlines have passed.
Book a free 15-minute compliance audit. We'll show your exact requirement, your real exposure, and whether your own plan saves you money.