WASHINGTON - Small business drives the U.S. economy by providing jobs for over half of the private workforce, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Office of Advocacy. In addition, the latest figures show that small businesses with fewer than 20 employees increased employment by 853,074 during 2001-2002.

These and other statistics outlining small business' contribution to the economy are contained in the Small Business Profiles for the States and Territories, 2005 Edition issued by the SBA's Office of Advocacy.