Record Surge in Small Business Entrepreneurship in 2021 Reflects National Trend

SELF-EMPLOYMENT BOOM IN WASHINGTON, DC, MARYLAND & VIRGINIA

Record Surge in Small Business Entrepreneurship in 2021 Reflects National Trend

NASE Applauds New Business Surge Suggesting the Great Resignation is Becoming the Be Your Own Boss Movement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As reported this morning in Axios DC, and recently in The Washington Post, in 2021 over 262,000 new small business license applications in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia represent a huge increase compared to pre-pandemic levels, showing a continuing national shift to self-employment and entrepreneurship.  Keith Hall, president and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the nation's leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, offered the following comment on the news suggesting “the Great Resignation has become the Be Your Own Boss movement, and reflects a national trend and a trend that we expect to continue.”

“In nearly every region of the country, people continue to step out on their own and launch the small business they’ve long dreamed of starting,” said  Keith Hall, president and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE). “What we are seeing in our nation’s capital and the large metropolitan centers around it are consistent with what we are seeing across the country. Throughout the pandemic and now as we climb out of it, more Americans are realizing the benefits of being their own boss. This is the best example of true American entrepreneurial spirit, and our lawmakers should continue to encourage leveling the playing field and promoting these small businesses to thrive and succeed.”

Throughout the pandemic and the years after, the small business community saw the numbers of Americans joining their ranks, including the self-employed surge to record levels. In fact, a Pew Study indicated the self-employment workforce rebounded to pre-pandemic levels and continues to grow.

“Whether a newly self-employed, solo-contractor or one of the millions of our nation’s legacy smallest employers, they are truly the spirit of America’s future economic security.  We salute these budding COVID-era and already existing small businesses for their determination, resiliency, and persistence even during difficult times throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We stand ready to do our part to help them succeed and we encourage the American people to support their success as well,” concluded Hall.

To Speak with Keith Hall, please contact Kristofer Eisenla at kristofer@lunaeisenlamedia.com

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The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, offering a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy.

The NASE NextBizThing helps identify and connect our nation’s smallest businesses. Need small business help? Check out NASE’s Ask the Experts for advice or the NASE Minute for small business support.

The NASE is a 501(c) (6) nonprofit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association's website at NASE.org