Self-Employment Up Sharply For
Women, Blacks, And Latinos
Self-Employment Increased Across
Ethnic Groups From 1979 To 2003
Self-employment rates for women, blacks, and Latinos have risen sharply since
1979, according to a study released by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S.
Small Business Administration. During the period, self-employment rates
increased across ethnic groups and gender, with an overall increase of more than
five percent.
“Self-employment is a critical part of our economy,” said Thomas M. Sullivan,
Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “Self-employment provides the main source of income
for a diverse group of over 12 million Americans. The increase in
self-employment rates for women, blacks, and Latinos show that small business
ownership can move minorities and women further into our economic mainstream.”
Written by Robert Fairlie with funding from the Office of Advocacy,
Self-Employed Business Ownership Rates in the United States: 1979-2003 was
released at the Washington offices of the National Association for the
Self-Employed (NASE).
“This study provides definitive evidence for the growth trend we’ve seen in
entrepreneurship over the years,” said Robert Hughes, president of the National
Association for the Self-Employed. “Particularly strong among women, blacks and
Latinos, these numbers help to better quantify the appeal of self-employment and
the impact this segment of the small business population has on the economy.”
The report delves into the data behind published figures from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS). Unlike BLS figures, this report includes incorporated as
well as unincorporated self-employed. The study found that over the period
studied the self-employment rate increased 33 percent for women, 37 percent for
blacks, and 15 percent for Latinos. The white rate increased ten percent while
the male rate increased two and a half percent.
The Office of Advocacy, the “small business watchdog” of the government,
examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently
represents the views of small business to federal agencies, Congress, and the
President. It is the source for small business statistics presented in
user-friendly formats and it funds research into small business issues.
For more information, visit the Office of Advocacy website at
www.sba.gov/advo.
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