Census Bureau Reports Increase of Nearly 1 Million Nonemployer Businesses
"The United States added nearly 1 million nonemployer businesses between 2006 and 2007, bringing the total to 21.7 million, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This 4.5 percent growth rate is detailed in Nonemployer Statistics: 2007, an annual data series on businesses without paid employees.

“These statistics allow users to track annual trends in nonemployer businesses down to the local level,” said C. Harvey Monk Jr., Associate Director for Economic Programs at the U.S. Census Bureau. “Businesses can use this data to help analyze market potential, to measure the effectiveness of sales and advertising programs and to develop their budgets.”

Total receipts for nonemployer businesses were $992 billion in 2007, up from $970 billion in 2006, a 2.2 percent increase. Of the total nonemployer businesses, 19.1 million were sole proprietorships, 1.4 million were corporations and 1.2 million were partnerships.

Most nonemployers are self-employed individuals operating very small unincorporated businesses, which may or may not be the owner’s principal source of income. Classified in nearly 300 industries, data is available for the nation, states, counties and metropolitan areas."