New Census Bureau data show that Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders are continuing to become a growing part of our nation’s economy. Between 2002 and 2007, Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned businesses saw a growth of 31 percent in number, while U.S. businesses overall only increased 18 percent between 2002 and 2007. Native Hawaiian-and Other Pacific Islander-owned businesses also saw a 52 percent increase in revenue, while total business receipts for U.S. businesses increased only 33 percent.

This glimpse into the economic activity of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders comes from the Survey of Businesses Owners, which is conducted every five years. This survey is the only regularly collected, comprehensive economic data on Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders and provides an important look at them as entrepreneurs.

Collected for the business year 2007, the data tell how much these businesses earned, how many people they employed, and the kinds of businesses they are in. For example, construction and retail trade accounted for 44 percent of Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned business receipts.

Data show that about 56 percent of all Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander businesses were owned by people of Native Hawaiian origin in 2007. Guamanian- or Chamorro-owned businesses accounted for 10 percent, Samoan-owned businesses for 8.0 percent, and businesses owned by people of Other Pacific Islander descent for 25 percent.

Future data from the survey, to be released in June, will allow you to dig deeper into the characteristics of the owners and their businesses—their age and education, sources of start up capital and more.