Who Are The Self-Employed?

Own approximately 25.8 million small businesses in the U.S.
(Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 2006)

Represent almost half of the nation’s businesses.

(U.S. Census Bureau 2002)

Generate 60-80 percent of new jobs annually; Employ, more than half of all private sector employees; Create more than 50 percent of non-farm private Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

("Small Business by the Numbers" SBA Office of Advocacy 2003)

Increasingly are women and minorities. There are an estimated 15.6 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. as of 2002. An estimated 1.2 million privately-held firms were majority-owned by women of color.

(National Women's Business Council Fact Sheet 2005; "Key Facts About Women Business Owners and Their Enterprises" Fact Sheet, National Women's Business Council)

Produce over $100 billion in revenues from majority-owned firms by minority women. Thirty-nine percent of minority-owned firms are owned by Hispanics, representing eight percent of all privately held, majority-owned firms in the U.S.

("Key Facts About Women Business Owners and Their Enterprises" Fact Sheet, National Women's Business Council; "Latinas and Entrepreneurship" Fact Sheet, National Women's Business Council 2003)

Own businesses accounting for 42.8 percent of the total business wealth in the U.S. in 2000.

(SBA Office of Advocacy, Estimation of Small Business Wealth 2002)

Describe themselves are optimistic or very optimistic about their business revenue in the current economy.

(NASE Micro-Business in America poll 2002)

Indicate strong enthusiasm that conditions for their businesses will improve in the short-term and say they anticipate health growth in the next five years.

(NASE Micro-Business in America poll 2002)