Figure 6. Solo self-employment rose in AI-exposed industries

Quarterly solo self-employment in AI-exposed and comparison industries, Q1 2022 to Q1 2026

Values represent average monthly solo self-employment within each quarter. The AI-exposed group includes Professional Services, Information, and Education. The comparison group includes Construction and Wholesale Trade. These groups largely overlap with the sector definitions used in the Business Formation Statistics analysis, although Finance and Insurance is included only in the BFS analysis. Solo self-employment includes self-employed workers with no paid employees. The vertical line marks Q1 2024. Q1 2026 reflects January through March only.
Chart: Liya PalagashviliSource: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (IPUMS-CPS)