EMBARGOED UNTIL: 12:01 A.M. EST, JANUARY 18, 2002 (FRIDAY) Public Information Office CB02-11 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-1037 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Jerry Roth/Carol Comisarow 301-457-2600 Nonemployer Businesses Exceed 16 Million; Nevada Grew the Fastest, Census Bureau Reports More than 16.1 million businesses had no paid employees in 1999, according to a report released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. Nationwide, the number of nonemployer businesses grew by 2.8 percent, or 443,877, between 1998 and 1999. Nevada led all states in growth of nonemployer businesses, with an increase of 7.1 percent. Arizona followed, at 4.9 percent, and three states Florida, Louisiana and Colorado saw the number of their nonemployer businesses grow by 4.4 percent over the same period. The Census Bureau report, Nonemployer Statistics: 1999, includes data on 14.1 million individual proprietorships, 960,000 partnerships and more than 1 million corporations. Four economic sectors accounted for almost 60 percent of nonemployer sales or receipts real estate and rental and leasing ($125 billion); construction ($103 billion); professional, scientific and technical services ($85 billion); and retail trade ($73 billion). Nonemployer firms do not include all self-employed individuals, since many self-employed business owners have paid employees. Many nonemployer businesses are part-time ventures and individual owners may operate more than one of these. The following table shows gains in nonemployer businesses for the United States and for the five states with the largest percentage increases in the number of these businesses between 1998 and 1999: 1998 1999 Gains in Businesses Nonemployer Nonemployer 1998-1999 State Businesses Businesses Number Percent United States 15,708,727 16,152,604 443,877 2.8 Nevada 99,353 106,416 7,063 7.1 Arizona 248,462 260,743 12,281 4.9 Florida 987,458 1,031,053 43,595 4.4 Louisiana 219,073 228,628 9,555 4.4 Colorado 311,855 325,432 13,577 4.4 The following table shows gains in annual receipts by nonemployer businesses for the United States and the five states with the largest percentage increases between 1998 and 1999: 1998 1999 Gains in Receipts Nonemployer Nonemployer 1998-1999 Receipts Receipts Amount State ($bil.) ($bil.) ($bil.) Percent United States $643.7 $667.2 $23.5 3.6 Alaska 1.6 1.8 0.2 13.8 Arizona 10.1 10.9 0.8 7.8 Utah 5.3 5.7 0.4 7.1 Colorado 12.5 13.3 0.8 7.0 Idaho 2.8 3.0 0.2 6.9 The report shows number of establishments and receipts by 298 North American Industry Classification System codes for the United States and states. Tabulations for counties and metropolitan areas are included on the Internet and CD-ROM versions of the report. The data are subject to nonsampling error from such sources as errors of self-classification by industry on tax forms, as well as errors of response, nonreporting and coverage. Further information about methodology and data limitations may be found in the report.