Women-owned business market increasing
The 20th century saw a dramatic increase in the number of women in the labor force.
There are exciting things happening inside world of women entrepreneurs. Women are now the dominant force in small business ownership, and succeeding in industries that were once taboo for women.
Between 1997 and 2006, businesses fully women-owned, or majority-owned by women, grew at nearly twice the rate of all U.S. firms (42.3% vs. 23.3%). During this same time period, employment among women-owned firms grew 0.4%, and annual sales grew 4.4%.
In 2006, reports on women-owned (or majority owned by women) in the United States returned the following impressive statistics:
- There were an estimated 10.4 million privately-held firms;
- This accounted for two in five (40.2%) of all businesses in the country; and
- These firms generated $1.9 trillion in annual sales and employed 12.8 million people nationwide.
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