Florida Top State for New Non-employer Businesses

The U.S. had 23 million businesses without a single paid employee in 2013 – up 4.4 million from 2003 and a 1.2 percent increase year-to-year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

WASHINGTON – May 29, 2015 – The U.S. had 23 million businesses without a single paid employee in 2013 – up 4.4 million from 2003 and a 1.2 percent increase year-to-year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Three sectors accounted for most non-employer business growth in the U.S.: "Other services, except public administration" added 60,864 businesses; "real estate and rental and leasing" gained 58,376; "transportation and warehousing" grew by 43,215.

Among states, Florida had the largest increase in non-employer businesses, with 63,259 added between 2012 and 2013. Of those new businesses, more were added in real estate and rental and leasing than any other sector with 13,615, according to the Census Bureau. California followed Florida for total non-employer businesses created with 57,931, Texas with 25,608 and Georgia with 18,956.

"Non-employer businesses run the gamut from old-fashioned family-run corner stores to home-based bloggers," says William Bostic Jr., the Census Bureau's associate director for economic programs. "In some cases, the business may be the owner's primary source of income, such as with real estate agents and physicians; but in other instances, they may operate the business as a side job, such as with babysitting and tutoring."

Real estate, rental and leasing topped the sectors in non-employer receipts, with $237.2 billion, up $9.7 billion from 2012. The real estate subsector drove the sector's overall increase. Real estate agents and brokers and residential property managers are two examples of industries in this subsector.

Looking at U.S. counties, Miami-Dade (21,958 new non-employer businesses between 2012-2013) followed Los Angeles County (23,802) at the top of the list. Broward County ranked third with 9,785.

Two Florida counties also ranked near the top for the highest rate of increase in receipts between 2012 and 2013: Miami-Dade, Fla. (up 5.6 percent to $16.2 billion in 2013), and Orange County, Fla. (up 5.5 percent to $4.3 billion).

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