KINGSTON — Bank of America is hiring more than 30 small-business bankers across the state of Washington, as part of the company’s plan to hire 1,000 small-business bankers nationwide.

Michael G. Miller is the small-business banker who will be serving small businesses in the Kingston/ North Kitsap area.

According to the U.S. Small Business Association, there are 532,162 small businesses in Washington. These businesses account for more than 97 percent of all employers and employ more than 50 percent of the state’s private-sector workforce.

Small-business bankers will provide more personalized attention to small-business owners in Washington, including consulting with them at their place of business and assessing their deposit, credit and cash management needs.

“Small businesses are without question the primary driver of the Washington economy,” said Roger Forman, BofA’s Small Business Banker manager for Washington.

Bank of America has helped make more than $200 million available to finance small businesses that cannot qualify for traditional loans, according to the company. This has assisted more than 9,000 small businesses and helped to retain more than 14,000 jobs, according to the bank.