NEWSRELEASE
For Release: December 2, 2004
Contact: John McDowell, (202) 205-6941
john.mcdowell@sba.gov
SBA Number: 04-38 ADVO
Press Kit
Self-Employment Up Sharply For Women, Blacks, And Latinos
Self-Employment Increased Across Ethnic Groups From 1979 To 2003
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Self-employment rates for women, blacks, and Latinos have risen sharply since 1979, according to a study released today 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 weve 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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Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policy makers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsels efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit www.sba.gov/advo, or call (202) 205-6533.