Most small businesses had no paid employees.
What the national count tells us about business size—and what it cannot tell us about an individual owner. Based on 2022 Census data in the SBA’s 2025 U.S. profile.
Inspect the findingA business count is not a team count.
The national count includes both nonemployer and employer firms. Having no paid employees does not tell us how many owners a business has—or what support it needs.
employees
- No paid employees
- 29,811,49582.4%
- With 1–499 employees
- 6,374,59417.6%
36,186,089 small businesses in total
Employer businesses: 5,720,093 with 1–19 employees; 654,501 with 20–499.
United States · 2022 data · Firms with fewer than 500 employees, including nonemployers; source coverage applies. Shares rounded to one decimal. SBA Office of Advocacy, 2025 edition, p. 2.
Support should fit
the starting point.
Someone working alone may need help organizing cash, serving customers, or preparing a first hire. An established team may need better delegation, repeatable operations, or a transition plan. Start with the owner’s actual situation.
Explore owner goalsWhat the count
cannot tell us.
Use these figures for economic context. Ask a different question before making a business decision.
- Owner income
- Employee count is not a substitute for financial information.
- Hiring plans
- A business category does not establish the owner’s goal.
- Availability to buy
- Sale intent needs its own current, permitted evidence.
Keep the context when you cite it.
SBA Office of Advocacy. United States 2025 Small Business Profile. Business counts and employment: 2022 Census data. https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/United_States_2025-State-Profile.pdf Accessed September 10, 2026.