Characteristics of Minorities who are Entering Self-Employment

Abstract

Self-employed minorities have, as a group, clearly become better educated and registered substantial income gains in recent years. They have shifted away from traditional fields, favoring such emerging industries as skill-intensive services. Many entrants to self-employment, however, are poorly educated minorities concentrating heavily in such traditional areas as retailing. This study investigates the apparent paradox of poorly educated entrants coexisting with general upgrading in the minority entrepreneur universe. An elusive group—defined as “part-timers”—is found to be vitally important to the growth dynamic of minority enterprise.