1380.0.55.008 - Perspectives on Regional Australia: Business Owners in Regions, 2011  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/08/2013  First Issue
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BUSINESS OWNERS IN AUSTRALIA

Unincorporated businesses provide a variety of employment options and for some people, owning a business is their main job, while for others it provides a second job or a way to supplement their income.

Overall, there were over 1.8 million business owners in 2009-10, representing just over one in seven (15%) income earners (from all sources) in Australia. Income earners from all sources excludes people who receive income from government pensions and allowances throughout this article (see explanatory notes for more information).

Of the states and territories, South Australia and Tasmania had the highest proportions of business owners, with just over 16% of income earners in both states earning income from an unincorporated business. The Australian Capital Territory had the lowest proportion of business owners, at almost 10%.

BUSINESS OWNERS, Percentage of income earners by state and territory(a) - 2009-10

Graph: BUSINESS OWNERS, Percentage of income earners (a) by state and territory - 2009-10
(a) Persons who earned income from an Own Unincorporated Business as percentage of total income earners from all sources.
Source: ABS, Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas, 2009-10.