The Facts

Women & the economy

• As of 2006, women owned more than 776,000 privately held businesses in Texas. These companies employ almost 972,000 people and generate more than $130 billion in annual sales.
  


• Texas ranks second nationwide for woman-owned companies, in terms of number, employment and sales.
  


• One in eleven American women is an entrepreneur, and one in seven U.S. employees works for a woman-owned business.
  


• Women start up their own businesses at twice the rate of men.
  


• Women are the U.S. economy's #1 purchasing agents, making the buying decisions in 85% of consumer purchases and in 51% of company purchases.
  


• American women spend $7 trillion annually.

Women & the workforce

• By 2014, it's expected that women will make up 47% of the U.S. total workforce, and will account for more than half of the growth of the workforce between 2004 and 2014.
  


• Of the 117 million American women age 16 and older, 69 million are active workforce participants.
  


• From 1983 to 2002, the proportion of women employed as managers, administrators or executives almost doubled.
  


• Women's movement into the workforce and into higher-paying positions has gone hand-in-hand with their pursuit of higher education.
  

Where the jobs are

• Between 2000 and 2010, professional and related occupations are expected to increase the fastest (26%) and add the largest number of jobs (7 million).
  


• Most of this job growth will come from computer and mathematical occupations; healthcare practitioners and technical occupations; and education, training and library occupations.
  


• Of the 30 occupations with the fastest job growth between 2000 and 2010, 17 are health-related and 10 are computer-related.
  


• Among the fastest growing health-related occupations are personal and home care aides, physician assistants and medical assistants.
  


• Among the fastest growing computer-related occupations are computer software applications engineers, network and computer systems administrators, and desktop publishers.

Sources: Women's Chamber of Commerce Texas; Center for Women's Business Research; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics; U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau; Small Business Administration.