Women and the Bottom Line

Recently, conducted a study tracking the impact that women -owned businesses has on the U.S. economy.  It brought to mind the many publications and books available in the library systems as well as the documents previously prepared by the Business Library staff.

The Economic Impact of Women-Owned Businesses In the United States report conducted by the Center for Women's Business Research and underwritten by :
Walmart
National Women’s Business Council
Center for Women’s Business Research

Some highlights from the report:

Approximately 8% of the total labor force works directly for a woman-owned firm.
* 28.2 percent of all businesses in America are at least majority owned by women

* Women owned enterprises have an economic impact of $2.8 trillion

* Businesses owned by women have created and/or maintained 23 million jobs

· There are 175 countries with less population than the number women-owned firms employ (directly and indirectly); there are 150 countries with less population than the number of people women-owned firms employ directly!

· If U.S.-based women-owned businesses were their own country, they would have the 5 th largest GDP in the world, trailing closely behind Germany, and ahead of countries including France, United Kingdom and Italy.

· If U.S.-based women-owned businesses were their own country, they would have a greater GDP than Canada, India and Vietnam combined

 

---

To coincide with the 2009 Women's Conference, First Lady of California Maria Shriver in coordination with the Center for American Progress released the Shriver Report to examine the impact of women emerging as primary household breadwinners. "A Woman's Nation Changes Everything'''

Highlights of the report include:

•   Women now make up half of all U.S. workers
•  Mothers are the primary breadwinners in 24 percent of all U.S. families

• Mothers are the co-breadwinners in 63.3 percent of all U.S. families
•    More than 80% of men and women agree that businesses failing to adapt to the needs of modern families risk losing good workers.
•    A record 40% of children born in 2007 – more than 1.5 million of them – had unmarried mothers. 
•    Women are more likely than men to graduate from college.
•    Women are running more than 10 million businesses with combined annual sales of $1.1 trillion.

•   Women are responsible for making 80% of consumer buying decisions.
•   As of July 2008, only 15 companies on the Fortune 500 list were run by female chief executives.
•   Women still overwhelmingly think they have primary responsibility for their children and their sick or elderly parents.

•  Eighty-five percent of women believe that where both partners have jobs, it is the woman who takes on more responsibility for the home and family.

---

The Impact and Influence of Women's Business Centers in the United States (June 2005)

Professor Mary Godwyn, PD, Professor Nan Langowitz, DBA, Professor Norean Sharpe, PhD

Women in Management - Business Library document.

New Book list of March 09 focussed on Women in Business . One of the featured books by Joanne Yaccato with Sean McSweeney.  The Gender Intelligent Retailer : discover the connection between women consumers and business growth. deals witht the imapct of women and growth in profits.      HC79.C6T486 2008

Women in Capital Markets (WCM) is a non-profit organization that promotes the entry, advancement, and development of women in the Capital Markets industry.