Working At Home Means More than Just Running a Business
                             
The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor has compiled interesting statistics on the home-based business and work-at-home demographic segment. Specifically:

•    Working at Home: 20.7 million persons usually did some work at home as part of their primary job. These workers, who reported working at home at least once per week, accounted for about 15 percent of total nonagricultural employment.

•    Occupation: Almost 30 percent of workers in management, professional, and related occupations reported working at home. Nearly two-thirds of persons who usually worked at home were employed in these occupations.   
•    Pay Status: Of the 13.7 million wage and salary workers who usually did some work at home in 2004, about 3.3 million, or 1 in 4, had a formal arrangement with their employer to be paid for the time they put in at home. About half of these paid home workers spent 8 hours or more per week working at home, and about 1 in 7 put in 35 hours or more per week at home. On average, those with a formal arrangement to be paid for their work time at home logged about 19 hours per week at home. 
•    Home-Based Business Owners and Operators:  About one-third of persons who usually worked at home are self-employed. Of the 7.0 million self-employed persons who worked at home, two-thirds had a home-based business — that is, a business run from the home and no other location. Nearly half of self-employed persons with a home-based business worked at least 8 hours per week at home, and almost 22 percent put in 35 hours or more at home. On average, self-employed persons with a home-based business worked 25 hours per week at home. HBM

Previously published in the October 2009 issue of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, an international publication for the growing and dynamic home-based market. Available on newsstands, in bookstores and chain stores, and via subscriptions ($19.00 for 1 year, six issues). Visit www.homebusinessmag.com

V16-5 Add: 12/09