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Valerie Strang
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WP version
1997 Revenues for Women-Owned Businesses Show
Continued Growth,
Census Bureau Reports
Women-owned
businesses in the United States totaled 5.4 million, employed 7.1
million people and generated $818.7 billion in receipts in 1997, according to a
report released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau.
While definitional changes affect direct comparability of the 1997 and 1992
Economic Census data, adjustments made to the aggregate data for both years
permit approximate comparisons. Based on these data, the number of women-owned
firms increased 16 percent between 1992 and 1997, almost triple the rate of 6
percent for all firms (excluding publicly held corporations); their receipts,
meanwhile, increased 33 percent, compared with a 24 percent increase for all
firms.
The 1997 Economic Census defines women-owned businesses as privately held
firms in which women own 51 percent or more of the firm. In the 1992 survey,
businesses were counted as women-owned if women owned 50 percent or more of the
firm; this included publicly held firms based on assumptions about the gender of
the majority of their stockholders, as well as firms which were jointly owned by women and their spouses.
The 1997 data show that in addition to the 5.4 million majority women-owned
firms, there were 3.6 million jointly owned (husband-wife) firms with $943.9
billion in receipts, 2.0 million of which would have been counted as women-owned
in 1997 using the 1992 definition and methodology.
As of 1997, privately held majority women-owned firms made up 26 percent of
the nation's 20.8 million nonfarm businesses and 4.4 percent of the $18.6
trillion in receipts for all businesses.
The vast majority of these women-owned firms (4.6 million or 85 percent) were
sole proprietorships -- unincorporated businesses owned by individuals. Only
314,700 or 6 percent of the women-owned firms included in the Economic Census
were C corporations (which constitute all legally incorporated businesses,
except for subchapter S corporations, whose shareholders elect to be taxed as
individuals rather than as corporations), but they accounted for $366.8 billion
or 45 percent of the receipts of all women-owned firms.
Four states -- California (700,500), New York (394,000), Texas (381,500) and
Florida (337,800) -- accounted for 33 percent of the firms that were 51 percent
or more owned by women.
States With the Largest Number of Women-Owned Firms: 1997 | ||
Geographic area |
Women-owned firms |
Percent of total women-owned firms in U.S. |
U.S. Total | 5,417,000 | |
California | 700,500 | 12.9 |
New York | 394,000 | 7.3 |
Texas | 381,500 | 7.0 |
Florida | 337,800 | 6.2 |
Illinois | 239,700 | 4.4 |
Ohio | 205,000 | 3.8 |
Pennsylvania | 203,000 | 3.7 |
Michigan | 184,600 | 3.4 |
New Jersey | 155,300 | 2.9 |
Georgia | 145,600 | 2.7 |
While California had the largest number of women-owned businesses, the
District of Columbia showed the largest percentage of firms owned by women.
Thirty-one percent or 14,000 of the District's 45,300 firms were women-owned.
New Mexico, where women owned 29 percent or 38,700 of New Mexico's 131,700 firms
ranked second; and Maryland, also with almost 29 percent or 115,800 of that
state's 400,200 firms being women-owned, was third.
States With the Largest Percentage of Women-Owned Firms: 1997 |
|||
Geographic area | Women-owned firms | All firms | Women-owned firms as a percent of all firms |
District of Columbia | 14,000 | 45,300 | 30.9 |
New Mexico | 38,700 | 131,700 | 29.4 |
Maryland | 115,800 | 400,200 | 28.9 |
Colorado | 114,800 | 410,200 | 28.0 |
Oregon | 80,500 | 291,600 | 27.6 |
Virginia | 132,200 | 480,100 | 27.5 |
Washington | 123,000 | 447,400 | 27.5 |
Hawaii | 25,800 | 94,000 | 27.5 |
California | 700,500 | 2,565,700 | 27.3 |
Michigan | 184,600 | 677,500 | 27.2 |
Women-owned firms tended to be smaller than firms overall. Nearly 69 percent
of women-owned businesses had less than $25,000 in receipts, compared with 53
percent of all firms; while 2 percent of women-owned firms had more than $1
million in receipts compared with 5 percent for all businesses.
The survey shows that 16 percent or 846,800 of women-owned firms had paid
employees. These firms accounted for 88 percent of the gross receipts of
women-owned businesses. About 7,400 firms had 100 employees or more and these
firms accounted for $248.3 billion in gross receipts (35 percent of the total
receipts of women-owned employer firms).
Seven out of 10 women-owned firms operated in the services and retail trade
industries. Forty-one percent of the receipts generated by women-owned firms
were concentrated in these industries.
Data in the report, 1997
Survey of Women-Owned Business Enterprises,
were collected as part of the Economic Census from a sample of nonfarm
businesses filing tax forms as sole proprietorships, partnerships or any type of
corporation that had receipts of $1,000 or more in 1997. The data cover
women-owned businesses by size and type of business, as well as by geographic
area (states, counties, metropolitan areas and places).
The data were collected in a sample survey and are subject to sampling
variability, as well as nonsampling errors. Sources of nonsampling error include errors of response,
nonreporting and coverage. Further details concerning survey design, methodology
and data limitations are contained in the full report.
-X-
Percentage of Total Women-Owned Firms by State Compared With
Percentage of
Women-Owned Firms to All Businesses by State: 1997
Geographic area | Women-Owned Firms | Percent of total women firms in U.S. | All Firms | Women as a percent of all firms |
US Total | 5,417,000 | 20,821,900 | 26.0 | |
Alabama | 69,500 | 1.3 | 285,200 | 24.4 |
Alaska | 16,600 | 0.3 | 64,100 | 25.9 |
Arizona | 88,800 | 1.6 | 329,000 | 27.0 |
Arkansas | 42,600 | 0.8 | 193,400 | 22.0 |
California | 700,500 | 12.9 | 2,565,700 | 27.3 |
Colorado | 114,800 | 2.1 | 410,200 | 28.0 |
Connecticut | 72,400 | 1.3 | 284,000 | 25.5 |
Delaware | 13,700 | 0.3 | 56,600 | 24.1 |
District of Columbia | 14,000 | 0.3 | 45,300 | 30.9 |
Florida | 337,800 | 6.2 | 1,301,900 | 25.9 |
Georgia | 145,600 | 2.7 | 568,600 | 25.6 |
Hawaii | 25,800 | 0.5 | 94,000 | 27.5 |
Idaho | 25,800 | 0.5 | 109,800 | 23.5 |
Illinois | 239,700 | 4.4 | 882,100 | 27.2 |
Indiana | 107,100 | 2.0 | 413,400 | 25.9 |
Iowa | 57,500 | 1.1 | 227,600 | 25.3 |
Kansas | 54,600 | 1.0 | 213,400 | 25.6 |
Kentucky | 66,000 | 1.2 | 281,600 | 23.4 |
Louisiana | 70,600 | 1.3 | 295,700 | 23.9 |
Maine | 30,600 | 0.6 | 127,500 | 24.0 |
Maryland | 115,800 | 2.1 | 400,200 | 28.9 |
Massachusetts | 142,700 | 2.6 | 537,200 | 26.6 |
Michigan | 184,600 | 3.4 | 677,500 | 27.2 |
Minnesota | 108,400 | 2.0 | 410,600 | 26.4 |
Mississippi | 38,300 | 0.7 | 167,900 | 22.8 |
Missouri | 103,600 | 1.9 | 411,400 | 25.2 |
Montana | 22,400 | 0.4 | 93,700 | 23.9 |
Nebraska | 33,500 | 0.6 | 138,800 | 24.1 |
Nevada | 33,300 | 0.6 | 129,800 | 25.7 |
New Hampshire | 27,300 | 0.5 | 115,700 | 23.6 |
New Jersey | 155,300 | 2.9 | 654,200 | 23.7 |
New Mexico | 38,700 | 0.7 | 131,700 | 29.4 |
New York | 394,000 | 7.3 | 1,509,800 | 26.1 |
North Carolina | 139,900 | 2.6 | 570,500 | 24.5 |
North Dakota | 12,400 | 0.2 | 55,300 | 22.5 |
Ohio | 205,000 | 3.8 | 781,300 | 26.2 |
Oklahoma | 67,500 | 1.2 | 280,700 | 24.0 |
Oregon | 80,500 | 1.5 | 291,600 | 27.6 |
Pennsylvania | 203,000 | 3.7 | 837,800 | 24.2 |
Rhode Island | 19,900 | 0.4 | 80,900 | 24.6 |
South Carolina | 64,200 | 1.2 | 260,300 | 24.7 |
South Dakota | 14,100 | 0.3 | 65,800 | 21.5 |
Tennessee | 99,800 | 1.8 | 415,900 | 24.0 |
Texas | 381,500 | 7.0 | 1,526,000 | 25.0 |
Utah | 42,000 | 0.8 | 169,200 | 24.8 |
Vermont | 17,000 | 0.3 | 67,500 | 25.2 |
Virginia | 132,200 | 2.4 | 480,100 | 27.5 |
Washington | 123,000 | 2.3 | 447,400 | 27.5 |
West Virginia | 30,200 | 0.6 | 111,700 | 27.1 |
Wisconsin | 89,300 | 1.6 | 366,400 | 24.4 |
Wyoming | 11,100 | 0.2 | 49,400 | 22.6 |
NOTE: Detail may not add to the total because a firm may be counted in more than one state.