Own-account workers, total in United States of America

United States of America: Own-account workers, total was 6.1% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
6.1%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
170th
of 187 countries
All-time high
8.3%
in 1991
All-time low
6.1%
in 2016
Years of data
26
1991–2016

Own-account workers, total in United States of America, 1991–2016

024681991200320161991: 8.3 % of total employment1992: 8 % of total employment1993: 8.2 % of total employment1994: 8.3 % of total employment1995: 8 % of total employment1996: 7.9 % of total employment1997: 7.8 % of total employment1998: 7.5 % of total employment1999: 7.3 % of total employment2000: 7.2 % of total employment2001: 7.1 % of total employment2002: 7 % of total employment2003: 7.2 % of total employment2004: 7.2 % of total employment2005: 7.1 % of total employment2006: 7.1 % of total employment2007: 6.9 % of total employment2008: 6.7 % of total employment2009: 6.8 % of total employment2010: 6.7 % of total employment2011: 6.5 % of total employment2012: 6.4 % of total employment2013: 6.3 % of total employment2014: 6.2 % of total employment2015: 6.2 % of total employment2016: 6.1 % of total employment

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of total employment.

Analysis

United States of America recorded 6.1% for own-account workers, total in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in United States of America peaked at 8.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 6.1%, in 2016.

United States of America ranks 170th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.

Own-account workers, total in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in United States of America, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 8.3%
1992 8.0% -3.7%
1993 8.2% +1.8%
1994 8.3% +1.3%
1995 8.0% -2.9%
1996 7.9% -1.3%
1997 7.8% -1.9%
1998 7.5% -3.3%
1999 7.3% -3.4%
2000 7.2% -1.2%
2001 7.1% -1.0%
2002 7.0% -1.5%
2003 7.2% +2.8%
2004 7.2% +0.2%
2005 7.1% -1.4%
2006 7.1% -0.7%
2007 6.9% -2.7%
2008 6.7% -2.7%
2009 6.8% +1.3%
2010 6.7% -1.1%
2011 6.5% -2.9%
2012 6.4% -0.9%
2013 6.3% -2.2%
2014 6.2% -2.1%
2015 6.2% -0.1%
2016 6.1% -0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.9% 7.3% 8.3% 9
2000s 7.0% 6.7% 7.2% 10
2010s 6.3% 6.1% 6.7% 7

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 167 Switzerland 7.1% compare
  2. 168 Austria 6.7% compare
  3. 169 Japan 6.2% compare
  4. 171 Sweden 6.1% compare
  5. 172 Russian Federation 5.8% compare
  6. 173 Hong Kong, China 5.6% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in United States of America?
Own-account workers, total in United States of America was 6.1% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 8.3% in 1991.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 6.1% in 2016.
How does United States of America rank for own-account workers, total?
United States of America ranks 170th out of 187 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United States of America data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Own-account workers, total (% of total employment). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Own-account workers, total in United States of America. Statizoid. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Own-account workers, total (% of total employment)
Unit
% of total employment
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
213 places, 5,537 data points, 1991–2016
Last refreshed