U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

census.gov

Changes in Self-Employment: 2010 to 2011

American Community Survey Briefs

Issued January 2013

ACSBR/11-21

By China Layne 

INTRODUCTION

From December 2007 to June 2009, the United 

States experienced an economic recession followed 

by a recovery year in 2010.1 In this brief, we examine changes in self-employment from 2010 to 2011 

for the United States as a whole, the 50 states, 

the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Selfemployment includes individuals working in incorporated and nonincorporated businesses, this brief 

considers changes in both types of self-employment. 

In addition, we examine changes in total employment from 2010 to 2011 for these same geographies. Finally, we compare the demographic, social, 

and economic characteristics of incorporated and 

nonincorporated self-employed workers in 2011.2

What Is Self-Employment?

For tax purposes, the IRS defines workers as self–

employed if they: (1) carry on trade or business as a 

sole proprietor or independent contractor, (2) are a 

member of a partnership that carries on trade or business, or (3) are otherwise in a business for oneself.3

Self-employed workers pay income taxes, the same as 

wageworkers, but they also pay a self-employment tax 

equal to the social security and Medicare taxes paid 

1 “U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions,” (Cambridge, 

MA, National Bureau of Economic Research, Sept. 20, 2010), available 

on the Internet at <www.nber.org/cycles/cyclesmain.html>, accessed 

on August 4, 2011. 2 Firm level data on nonemployer businesses in 2010 are provided 

through the U.S. Census Bureau’s “Nonemployer Statistics,” available 

on the Internet at <www.census.gov/econ/nonemployer/index.html>. 

Firm level data on employer and nonemployer businesses in 2007 are 

provided through the “Survey of Business Owners,” available on the 

Internet at <www.census.gov/econ/sbo>. 3 “Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center,” available on the Internet at 

<http://irs.gov/businesses/small/self-employed/index.html>, accessed 

on June 30, 2012.

Self-Employment: 

In the 2011 American Community Survey, the classof-worker question (included below) categorizes 

workers based on their relationship to the business for which they work. The question identifies 

self-employed workers and distinguishes between 

self-employed workers in incorporated and nonincorporated businesses. In cases where a respondent worked at more than one job or business in 

the last week, the class-of-worker question refers to 

the job or business for which they worked the most 

hours. The class-of-worker question was the same in 

the 2010 and 2011 American Community Surveys.

Was this person—

Mark (X) ONE box.

An employee of a PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT company or 

business, or of an individual, for wages, salary, or 

commissions?

An employee of a PRIVATE NOT-FOR-PROFIT, taxexempt, or charitable organization?

A local GOVERNMENT employee (city, county, etc.)?

A state GOVERNMENT employee?

A federal GOVERNMENT employee?

SELF-EMPLOYED in own NOT INCORPORATED 

business, professional practice, or farm?

SELF-EMPLOYED in own INCORPORATED 

business, professional practice, or farm?

Working WITHOUT PAY in family business or farm?
2 U.S. Census Bureau

for wageworkers. Self-employment 

businesses can be either unincorporated, such as sole proprietorships, or incorporated, such as 

C and S corporations. Incorporated 

businesses exist as entities legally 

separate from their shareholders 

or members. Corporations hold 

many of the same legal rights 

as individuals, such as the right 

to bring lawsuits, buy and sell 

property, enter into contracts, 

and the obligation to pay taxes.4

One of the primary advantages of 

incorporating a self-employment 

business is that it limits the shareholders’ liability for the business’ 

debts and obligations. In addition, 

incorporated businesses have 

the advantages of unlimited life, 

transferability of ownership shares, 

the ability to raise investment 

capital through selling securities, 

and, in some cases, tax benefits.5

Changes in Nonincorporated 

Self-Employment for the 

Nation and States

At the national level, nonincorporated self-employment composed 

6.2 percent of total employment 

in 2011 (Table 1). Among the 50 

states, the District of Columbia, 

and Puerto Rico, the share of nonincorporated self-employment of 

total employment in the same year 

ranged from a high of 9.9 percent 

in Puerto Rico to a low of 3.9 percent in the District of Columbia.

From 2010 to 2011, the share of 

nonincorporated self-employment 

of total employment decreased 

at the national level and for five 

states and the District of Columbia. 

These states varied across most 

regions of the nation, including Western, Northeastern, and 

4 Encyclopedia entry: “Incorporation,” 

available on the Internet at 

<http://entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term

/82210.html>, accessed on June 30, 2012. 5 “Incorporating Your Business,” available on 

the Internet at <http://entreprenuer.com

/article/77730>, accessed on June 30, 2012.

Southern states. Only Alaska and 

Puerto Rico experienced increases 

in the share of nonincorporated 

self-employment, of 0.9 and 0.7 

percentage points, respectively. 

No other states experienced 

statistically significant changes 

in the share of nonincorporated 

self-employment. The decrease 

in the share of nonincorporated 

self-employment was 0.1 percentage points at the national level. 

At the state level, the decrease in 

the share of nonincorporated selfemployment varied. The decrease 

was 0.2 percentage points in New 

York and 0.8 percentage points 

in the District of Columbia.6

Changes in Incorporated SelfEmployment for the Nation 

and States

Incorporated self-employment 

makes up a much smaller share 

of total employment than does 

nonincorporated self-employment. 

At the national level, incorporated 

self-employment composed 3.4 

percent of total employment in 

2011. Among the 50 states, the 

District of Columbia, and Puerto 

Rico, the share of incorporated 

self-employment of total employment in the same year ranged from 

a high of 5.9 percent in Montana to 

a low of 2.3 percent in Tennessee.

Despite its making up a smaller 

share of the total workforce than 

nonincorporated self-employment, 

more states experienced significant 

changes in incorporated self-employment from 2010 to 2011. The share 

of incorporated self-employment 

of total employment decreased at 

the national level and for 13 states. 

These states varied across most 

regions of the nation, including 

Western, Midwestern, and Southern 

states. Only one state, Pennsylvania, 

6 The difference in the decrease of 0.2 percentage points in New York and 0.8 percentage points in the District of Columbia is not 

statistically significant.

experienced an increase of 0.2 

percentage points in the share of 

incorporated self-employment. No 

other states experienced significant 

changes in the share of incorporated 

self-employment. The decrease in 

the share of incorporated selfemployment was 0.1 percentage 

points at the national level. At the 

state level, the decrease in the share 

of incorporated self-employment 

varied. The decrease was 0.2 

percentage points in California and 

1.0 percentage point in Wyoming.7

While the nation and a number 

of states experienced decreases 

in the share of incorporated selfemployment in the last year, the 

general labor market experienced 

an increase in the total number of 

workers. At the national level, the 

total number of workers increased 

by more than 1 million from 2010 

to 2011.8 In addition, 23 states 

and the District of Columbia 

experienced increases in the total 

number of workers. These states 

varied across all regions of the 

nation: Northeast, Midwest, South, 

and West. The increase in the 

total number of workers ranged 

from a high of slightly more than 

180,000 workers in California 

to a low of nearly 8,000 workers in North Dakota. Only Puerto 

Rico experienced a significant 

decrease in the total number of 

workers from 2010 to 2011.

7 The difference in the decrease of 0.2 

percentage points in California and 1.0 percentage point in Wyoming is not statistically 

significant. 8 The increase in the total number of 

employed persons from 2010 to 2011 based 

on annual averaged data from the Current 

Population Survey was smaller, about 805,000 

persons with a standard error of 253,565 

persons. “Table 1, Annual Average, Household Data, 1941 to date,” Current Population 

Survey, Washington, DC, Bureau of Labor 

Statistics, available on the Internet at 

<http://bls.gov/cps/tables.htm>, accessed 

on August 2, 2012. The difference between 

the American Community Survey and Current 

Population Survey estimates of total employed 

persons is statistically significant.
U.S. Census Bureau 3

Table 1.

Incorporated and Nonincorporated Self-Employment: 2010 and 2011

(For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/acs/www)

Area

Incorporated self-employed Nonincorporated self-employed Total employed1

Change in 

percent

 of total 

employed

2010–2011

Margin of 

error2, 3

 (±)

Percent 

of total 

employed 

2011

Margin of 

error2, 3

 (±)

Change in

 percent

of total 

employed 

2010–2011

Margin of 

error2, 3

 (±)

Percent 

of total 

employed 

2011

Margin of 

error2, 3

 (±)

Change in 

estimate

2010–2011

Margin of 

error2, 3

 (±)

 United States . . . *–0.1 – 3.4 – *–0.1 0.1 6.2 – *1,365,641 198,417

Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.3 2.9 0.2 –0.3 0.4 5.3 0.3 2,270 24,701

Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . –0.5 0.8 2.6 0.4 *0.9 0.9 6.9 0.7 6,660 7,830

Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . – 0.3 3.7 0.2 0.1 0.4 6.2 0.3 *32,434 26,813

Arkansas . . . . . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.4 3.1 0.3 –0.1 0.5 6.3 0.4 –9573 16,670

California . . . . . . . . . . . . *–0.2 0.1 3.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 8.5 0.1 *183,522 59,708

Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . *–0.5 0.3 4.7 0.2 *–0.6 0.4 6.6 0.3 *45,745 19,778

Connecticut . . . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.3 3.4 0.2 0.1 0.5 6.8 0.3 6,048 14,275

Delaware . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.5 0.7 4.0 0.5 – 0.7 4.0 0.5 *9,245 8,407

District of Columbia . . . . 0.3 0.7 2.4 0.4 *–0.8 0.7 3.9 0.6 *11,480 7,270

Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–0.4 0.2 5.5 0.2 – 0.3 6.0 0.2 *126,953 43,613

Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–0.3 0.3 4.0 0.2 –0.2 0.3 5.6 0.3 28,323 35,139

Hawaii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . – 0.6 3.7 0.4 –0.8 0.7 6.8 0.5 –8668 11,839

Idaho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . –0.2 0.7 4.2 0.6 0.5 0.7 8.0 0.6 3,009 13,313

Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–0.3 0.2 3.4 0.1 –0.1 0.2 4.9 0.2 15,354 32,860

Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–0.4 0.2 2.7 0.2 – 0.3 4.9 0.3 *35,739 21,792

Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . – 0.3 3.3 0.2 –0.4 0.4 6.7 0.3 –1282 12,350

Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.4 3.1 0.2 –0.2 0.5 6.7 0.3 *16,008 12,885

Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . *–0.4 0.3 2.7 0.2 –0.3 0.4 5.5 0.3 *22,430 20,545

Louisiana . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.3 0.4 3.6 0.3 –0.1 0.4 5.5 0.3 6,416 23,096

Maine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . – 0.5 3.9 0.4 0.1 0.8 9.3 0.5 1,439 9,248

Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . . –0.2 0.3 3.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 5.0 0.2 8,551 23,021

Massachusetts . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.3 2.9 0.2 0.3 0.4 6.5 0.2 *59,617 22,772

Michigan . . . . . . . . . . . . – 0.2 3.5 0.1 – 0.2 5.3 0.1 *54,368 26,480

Minnesota . . . . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.2 3.9 0.2 – 0.3 6.1 0.2 *35,236 18,925

Mississippi . . . . . . . . . . . 0.1 0.4 3.0 0.3 0.0 0.4 5.8 0.3 6,092 17,378

Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–0.3 0.3 2.9 0.2 – 0.3 6.1 0.2 8,181 21,577

Montana . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.7 0.8 5.9 0.6 –0.5 0.9 9.2 0.6 *12,314 9,551

Nebraska . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.3 0.3 3.9 0.3 –0.2 0.5 7.4 0.4 8,539 10,753

Nevada . . . . . . . . . . . . . –0.5 0.5 3.1 0.4 –0.3 0.5 4.6 0.4 7,988 16,158

New Hampshire . . . . . . . 0.1 0.4 3.3 0.3 *–0.7 0.6 7.4 0.4 231 10,280

New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.2 3.8 0.2 – 0.3 4.7 0.2 8,657 23,482

New Mexico . . . . . . . . . . *–0.7 0.5 2.6 0.3 – 0.7 6.9 0.5 1,497 13,498

New York . . . . . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.2 3.6 0.1 *–0.2 0.2 6.0 0.1 *45,375 39,185

North Carolina . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.3 3.5 0.2 – 0.3 5.9 0.2 *67,232 37,351

North Dakota . . . . . . . . . –0.3 0.6 3.2 0.4 –0.1 0.9 8.6 0.6 *7,935 5,843

Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . – 0.1 2.7 0.1 – 0.2 5.2 0.2 *36,563 30,831

Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . . –0.2 0.3 3.4 0.2 –0.4 0.4 6.8 0.3 15,155 15,444

Oregon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–0.5 0.3 3.9 0.2 – 0.4 8.1 0.4 8,863 22,388

Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . *0.2 0.2 2.9 0.1 *–0.3 0.2 5.3 0.1 10,530 32,304

Rhode Island . . . . . . . . . 0.4 0.7 3.5 0.4 –0.2 0.7 5.0 0.5 *20,271 10,352

South Carolina . . . . . . . . 0.2 0.3 3.6 0.3 0.4 0.5 5.6 0.4 13,890 26,299

South Dakota . . . . . . . . . –0.4 0.6 3.8 0.5 –0.1 1.0 8.6 0.6 6,429 6,541

Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . *–0.3 0.2 2.3 0.2 0.2 0.4 7.3 0.3 *49,633 25,324

Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.1 0.1 2.9 0.1 *–0.3 0.2 6.8 0.2 *183,218 63,818

Utah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.4 4.1 0.3 –0.3 0.5 4.6 0.3 *31,742 16,243

Vermont . . . . . . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.7 4.4 0.5 0.1 0.9 9.6 0.6 4,870 5,923

Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–0.3 0.2 3.1 0.1 – 0.3 4.9 0.2 *45,932 29,053

Washington . . . . . . . . . . –0.2 0.3 3.8 0.2 –0.1 0.4 6.1 0.2 *47,729 25,881

West Virginia . . . . . . . . . 0.2 0.5 2.5 0.4 –0.1 0.5 4.6 0.4 1,714 11,299

Wisconsin . . . . . . . . . . . –0.1 0.2 3.1 0.2 – 0.3 5.6 0.2 14,375 18,778

Wyoming . . . . . . . . . . . . *–1.0 1.0 3.4 0.6 –0.3 1.1 6.4 0.7 *9,362 6,559

Puerto Rico . . . . . . . . . . –0.3 0.4 2.5 0.3 *0.7 0.7 9.9 0.5 *–20,384 14,840

* Statistically different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level.

– Represents or rounds to zero. 1

 Official estimates of total employed are published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2

 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of error 

is in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. When added to and subtracted from the estimate, the margin of error forms the 90 percent 

confidence interval. 3

 For margins of error listed as 0.0, the value is less than 0.1, not zero.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2011 American Community Surveys.
4 U.S. Census Bureau

In all, for the nation and eight 

states, a decrease in the share of 

incorporated self-employment was 

accompanied by an increase in the 

total number of workers. This combination of labor market changes 

may not be as contradictory as it 

seems. The result is consistent with 

research finding that an expanding 

economy encourages exits from 

self-employment by increasing 

opportunities in the wage-work 

sector of the labor market.9 The 

recent expanding economy has had 

a larger effect on incorporated selfemployment than on nonincorporated self-employment. 

More states experienced significant 

changes in incorporated selfemployment than in nonincorporated self-employment. This 

difference in effect is not surprising considering that incorporated 

self-employed workers, as a 

group, have higher educational 

attainment than nonincorporated 

self-employed workers.10 Although 

economic expansions improve 

employment opportunities for all 

workers, better-educated workers continue to enjoy an employment advantage. For example, 

in the economic expansion from 

2002 to 2007, the unemployment 

rate for workers with only a high 

school degree remained nearly 

twice as high and the employment 

to population ratio remained at 

least 15 percentage points lower 

compared with workers with a 

bachelor’s degree or more.11

9 Rissman, E. R., “The Self-Employment 

Duration of Younger Men Over the Business 

Cycle,” Economic Perspectives, Federal Reserve 

Bank of Chicago, 30(3), 2006. 10 Hipple, Steven, “Self-Employment in the 

United States,” Monthly Labor Review, Bureau 

of Labor Statistics, 133(9), 2010. 11 “Table 7, Annual Average, Household 

Data, 2003–2007,” Current Population 

Survey, Washington, DC, Bureau of Labor 

Statistics, available on the Internet at 

<http://bls.gov/cps/tables.htm>, accessed on 

June 22, 2012.

Demographic, Social, and 

Economic Differences 

Between Incorporated 

and Nonincorporated SelfEmployed Workers

As a group, incorporated selfemployed workers were different from nonincorporated 

self-employed workers in 2011 in 

many ways (Table 2). The percentages of male, White non-Hispanic 

workers and Asian non-Hispanic 

workers were all higher among the 

incorporated self-employed (+11.0, 

+7.1, and +2.0 percentage points. 

respectively). In addition, more 

incorporated, self-employed workers were aged 50 to 64 or married 

(+4.3 and +12.8 percentage points, 

respectively). Conversely, the 

percentages of Hispanic workers, 

all workers under 30 years of age, 

and all workers aged 65 and over 

were lower among the incorporated 

self-employed (–7.0, –4.9, and –0.6 

percentage points, respectively). 

Overall, incorporated self-employed 

workers appeared to have more 

human capital compared with 

nonincorporated self-employed 

workers. More incorporated selfemployed workers had a bachelor’s 

degree or more education or were 

U.S. citizens (+14.6 and +5.3 percentage points respectively) and 

fewer reported speaking English 

less than “very well” (–5.2 percentage points) compared with nonincorporated self-employed workers.

Considerably more incorporated 

self-employed workers were in the 

relatively higher earning management, business, science, and 

arts occupations or the sales and 

office occupations (+15.6 and +7.7 

percentage points, respectively). 

Compared with nonincorporated

self-employed workers, considerably fewer incorporated selfemployed workers were in the 

relatively low earning services 

occupations or natural resources, 

construction, and maintenance 

occupations (–15.8 and –6.0 

percentage points, respectively).

The differences between incorporated self-employed and nonincorporated self-employed 

workers were, for the most part, 

smaller across industries. Fewer 

incorporated self-employed workers were in the other services 

industry and more were in the 

retail trade and manufacturing 

industries (–9.3, +3.4, and +2.7 

percentage points, respectively).

In general, incorporated selfemployed workers had better 

employment outcomes than nonincorporated self-employed workers. Considerably more incorporated self-employed workers were 

employed at their businesses fulltime, year-round (+20.7 percentage 

points). Likewise, the percentage of 

incorporated self-employed workers with any health insurance coverage was higher compared with 

nonincorporated self-employed 

workers (+14.9 percentage points). 

Reflecting the educational and 

occupational differences between 

the two groups, incorporated 

self-employed workers earned 

substantially more than nonincorporated workers (+25,242 dollars).

After 18 months of recession, 

followed by 18 months of limited 

growth, 2011 brought an increase 

in the total number of workers in 

the U.S. labor market. However, 

this growth at the national level, 

and many state levels, was often 

accompanied by a decline in 

the share of incorporated selfemployment. It is possible that 

incorporated self-employed workers’ generally higher educational 

attainment better enabled them 

to take advantage of improved 

opportunities in the wage work sector. Educational attainment is only 

one area in which incorporated 

self-employed workers showed an 
U.S. Census Bureau 5

Table 2.

Demographic, Social, and Economic Characteristics of Incorporated and Nonincorporated 

Self-Employed Workers: 2011

(For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/acs/www)

Characteristics

Incorporated 

self-employed

Nonincorporated 

self-employed

Estimate

Margin of 

error1

 (±) Estimate

Margin of 

error1(±)

DEMOGRAPHIC

Sex

Male . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *71.7 0.3 60.7 0.3

Female . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *28.3 0.3 39.3 0.3

Race and Ethnicity

White, not Hispanic or Latino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *79.4 0.4 72.3 0.3

Black or African American, not Hispanic or Latino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *4.4 0.2 6.0 0.2

Asian, not Hispanic or Latino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *6.6 0.2 4.6 0.1

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, not Hispanic or Latino . . . . . . . . . 0.1 – 0.1 –

American Indian and Alaskan Native, not Hispanic or Latino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *0.3 – 0.4 –

Two or More Races, not Hispanic or Latino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *1.2 0.1 1.5 0.1

Hispanic or Latino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *8.1 0.3 15.1 0.3

Age

Under 30 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *5.0 0.2 9.9 0.2

30 to 49 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *44.0 0.4 42.8 0.3

50 to 64 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *41.2 0.4 36.9 0.3

65 years and over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *9.8 0.2 10.4 0.2

SOCIAL

Citizenship

U.S. citizen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *93.9 0.2 88.6 0.2

Marital Status

Married . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *75.4 0.3 62.6 0.3

Education Level

Less than a bachelor's degree....................................... *55.5 0.5 70.1 0.3

Bachelor's degree or higher......................................... *44.5 0.5 29.9 0.3

English Proficiency

Speaks English less than “very well” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *7.7 0.2 12.9 0.2

ECONOMIC

Full-time, year-round employed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *73.4 0.3 52.7 0.3

Any health insurance coverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *83.6 0.3 68.7 0.3

Median earnings in the past 12 months *$46,872 $448 $21,630 $152

Occupation

Management, business, science, and arts occupations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *49.5 0.4 33.9 0.3

Service occupations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *9.6 0.2 25.4 0.3

Sales and office occupations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *23.5 0.3 15.8 0.2

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations . . . . . . . . . . . . *11.6 0.3 17.6 0.2

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *5.8 0.2 7.3 0.2

Industry

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *3.5 0.1 5.7 0.1

Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *15.2 0.3 16.6 0.2

Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *5.2 0.2 2.5 0.1

Wholesale trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *4.1 0.2 1.8 0.1

Retail trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *10.7 0.2 7.3 0.2

Transportation and warehousing and utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.9 0.2 4.0 0.1

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 0.1 1.3 0.1

Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . *9.0 0.2 6.9 0.1

Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative, and waste 

management services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *22.6 0.3 20.2 0.2

Educational services, and health care and social assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *10.4 0.2 11.5 0.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services . . *7.1 0.2 6.0 0.1

Other services, except public administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.9* 0.2 16.2 0.2

Public administration2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (X) (X) (X) (X)

* Estimates for incorporated self-employed are statistically different from the estimates for nonincorporated self-employed at the 90 percent confidence level.

– Represents or rounds to zero.

* Statistically different at the 90 percent confidence level.

(X) Not applicable. 1

 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of error 

is in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. When added to and subtracted from the estimate, the margin of error forms the 90 percent 

confidence interval. 2

 Employment in Public Administration industry does not apply to self-employed workers.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey.
6 U.S. Census Bureau

advantage over the nonincorporated self-employed. 

In general, incorporated selfemployed workers had more 

human capital, were more likely 

to work in management and professional occupations, and had 

better employment outcomes.

SOURCE AND ACCURACY

The data presented in this report 

are based on the ACS sample 

interviewed in 2011. The estimates 

based on this sample approximate 

the actual values and represent 

the entire household and group 

quarters population. Sampling error 

is the difference between an estimate based on a sample and the 

corresponding value that would be 

obtained if the estimate were based 

on the entire population (as from a 

census). Measures of the sampling 

errors are provided in the form of 

margins of error for all estimates 

included in this report. All comparative statements in this report 

have undergone statistical testing, 

and comparisons are significant at 

the 90 percent level unless otherwise noted. In addition to sampling 

error, nonsampling error may be 

introduced during any of the operations used to collect and process 

survey data such as editing, reviewing, or keying data from questionnaires. For more information on 

sampling and estimation methods, 

confidentiality protection, and 

sampling and nonsampling errors, 

please see the 2011 ACS Accuracy 

of the Data document located at 

<www.census.gov/acs/www

/Downloads/data_documentation

/Accuracy/ACS_Accuracy_of_Data

_2011.pdf>.

What Is the American Community Survey?

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey designed 

to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, 

economic, and housing data for the nation, states, congressional 

districts, counties, places, and other localities every year. It has an 

annual sample size of about 3.3 million addresses across the United 

States and Puerto Rico and includes both housing units and group 

quarters (e.g., nursing facilities and prisons). The ACS is conducted 

in every county throughout the nation, and every municipio in Puerto 

Rico, where it is called the Puerto Rico Community Survey. Beginning 

in 2006, ACS data for 2005 were released for geographic areas 

with populations of 65,000 and greater. For information on the ACS 

sample design and other topics, visit <www.census.gov/acs/www>.