Most small business owners, particularly in the retail and hospitality sectors, are feeling the pinch from the economic uncertainty in Canada and say they will not be hiring additional staff this holiday season, a new survey suggests.

Three in four (76 per cent) of Canadian small businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors said they’re not planning to hire seasonal staff for the holidays, according to a poll by Canadian fintech firm Merchant Growth.

Merchant Growth’s poll, which surveyed 60 retail and hospitality businesses, found that of the businesses that do plan to hire extra staff, 21 per cent said they will hire fewer people this year than in previous years.

Small businesses are entering this year’s holiday season “with their guard up,” Joe Cote, chief growth officer at Mer

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