Nonagricultural self-employment rate at 5.7 percent in fourth quarter 2023

In the fourth quarter 2023, the 9.1 million unincorporated self-employed workers accounted for 5.7 percent of all nonagricultural workers, similar to the rate of 5.8 percent at the end of 2022. The nonagricultural self-employment rate is the number of nonagricultural unincorporated self-employed workers as a percentage of total nonagricultural employment.

The nonagricultural unincorporated self-employment rate was 6.0 percent a decade earlier in the fourth quarter 2013 and 7.0 percent at the end of 2003. The rate has generally trended down over the last several decades.

Historically, estimates of self-employment published by BLS have concentrated on the unincorporated self-employed. Although the incorporated self-employed can be identified separately, these individuals are counted as wage and salary workers in the Current Population Survey because, from a legal standpoint, they are employees of their own businesses.

These data are from the Current Population Survey and are seasonally adjusted.  For more information, see "Unemployment rate inches up during 2023, labor force participation rises.”