Washington, D.C., December 2, 2004 -- 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.

The report was released at the Washington office of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the leading resource for micro-businesses and the self-employed.

"Increasingly, self-employment is an appealing option for Americans," said Robert Hughes, NASE President. "Whether they are fulfilling life-long dreams, drawn by the flexibility, or finding it as an option after corporate layoffs, this study shows that more and more people are enjoying the benefits of being their own boss."

"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 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 nine 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 on the study, visit the Office of Advocacy Web site at www.sba.gov/advo. For media inquiries regarding the study data, contact John McDowell at the Office of Advocacy at (202) 205-6941 or john.mcdowell@sba.gov.

About the NASE

The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, bringing a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy. The NASE is a 501(c) (6) non-profit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association's web site at www.nase.org.

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January 2005