Trends in self-employment among white and black men during the twentieth century

We examine white and black male nonagricultural self-employment from 1910 to 1997 Self-employment rates fell through 1970 and then rose, White male trends were due to declining rates within industries, ending in 1970, counterbalanced by a continuing shift toward high self-employment industries. Social security and immigration do not explain the recent upturn. Black male rates have been roughly one-third of white rates from 1910 to 1997 Blacks are not concentrated in low self-employment rate industries. Absent continuing farces limiting black self-employment a simple inter-generational model suggests quick convergence of black and white rates.