How many businesses are there?

In 2006, there were 26.8 million businesses in the United States, according to Office of Advocacy estimates. Census data show that there were 5.9 million firms with employees and 19.5 million without employees in 2004.

Applying the sole proprietorship growth rates to the nonemployer figures and similar Department of Labor growth rates to the employer figures produces the 26.8 million figure.

Small firms with fewer than 500 employees represent 99.9 percent of the 26.8 million businesses (including both employers and nonemployers), as the most recent data show there were more than 17,000 large businesses in 2004.

www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs258tot.pdf