Economic Security

Women-Owned Firms in the United States

Submitted by asklar on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 11:59pm

Every five years, the U.S. Census completes an extensive Survey of Business Owners (SBO) that examines businesses by the gender of the business owner. This is the only comprehensive, regularly collected source of information on the economic and demographic characteristics of businesses across the country by gender, ethnicity, race, and veteran status. The SBO is authorized by Title 13 of the United States Code and responses are mandatory. The data on women-owned businesses provided by the Census is the main source of demographic information used by the NWBC.

The 2007 data was fully released in June 2011, so the NWBC commissioned a private research company to study this data in-depth. The data was analyzed by different characteristics to further expand the current understanding of women-owned businesses and to search for any interesting or unique findings that bear further study.

URL:

http://nwbc.gov/research/women-owned-firms-united-states

It Takes Women to End Global Poverty

Teaser:

Women work two-thirds of the world's working hours and produce half of the world's food. Yet, women earn only 10 percent of the world's income and own less than 1 percent of the world's property.

Editorial:

From Women's eNews:

While American women still earn about 77 cents for every dollar men earn and continue to work hard to close the salary gap, women in other parts of the world earn a mere 30 to 40 percent of what men do.

These are the women who never made it to a classroom, who often forgo already scarce food for themselves to feed other family members, who are unable to start their own businesses and who are likely to die in childbirth or from a preventable disease due to lack of basic health care.

The ability of families worldwide to pull themselves out of poverty -- through education, health and food security -- disproportionately rests on the shoulders of women.

Just ask Barbara Ayisa of Ghana. In her village of Affumkrom, she spends her day growing onions and maize, while taking care of her children. Her husband provides some economic support, but is engaged in other activities, leaving Barbara to manage the household. She benefitted from assistance that teaches her how to store her maize until she can sell it at the best price, earning the most she can for her family.

[...]

Source:

Women's eNews

URL:

http://womensenews.org/story/economyeconomic-policy/120308/it-takes-women-end-global-poverty?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email

Date:

March 11, 2012

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

The Kauffman Firm Survey Report: Who Are User Entrepreneurs?

Submitted by asklar on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 12:54am

A study released by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation shows that "user entrepreneurs" have founded more than 46 percent of innovative startups that have lasted five years or more, even though this group creates only 10.7 percent of U.S. startups overall.

URL:

http://www.kauffman.org/newsroom/nearly-half-of-innovative-startups-are-founded-by-user-entrepreneurs.aspx

Educated women quit work as spouses earn more

Teaser:

According to a new study from the Federal Reserve, due to be published shortly, between 1993 and 2006, there was a decline in the workforce of 0.1 percent a year on average in the number of college-educated women, with similarly educated spouses.

Editorial:

From Reuters:

That contrasts with growth of 2.4 percent a year between 1976 and 1992.

The result: the labor force in 2008 had 1.64 million fewer such women than if the growth rate had kept up its earlier trend, slightly more than 1 percent of the total workforce in that year.

[...]

Source:

Reuters

URL:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/08/us-economy-women-idUSBRE8270AC20120308

Date:

March 8, 2012

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

Enforcing the pregnancy bias law of 1978? Long overdue

Teaser:

Last month's long overdue hearing by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) revealed that shocking, blatant attacks on working women are going on more than three decades after passage of the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which requires most employers to treat pregnant women the same as other applicants or employees.

Editorial:

From UPI:

emale firefighters required to take pregnancy tests--and test negative--to be hired.

A pregnant truck driver fired after requesting "light duty" work per her doctor's recommendations.

A pregnant sales clerk told to get an abortion by her supervisor.

Stories from the dark ages of working women's history? Sorry.

[...]

Source:

UPI / Womens' eNews

URL:

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2012/03/07/Enforcing-the-pregnancy-bias-law-of-1978-Long-overdue/WEN-9161331139301/

Date:

March 8, 2012

Affiliate:

The Worst-Paying Cities for Women

Teaser:

March is Women’s History Month, and March 8th is International Women’s Day. First observed in the U.S. on February 28, 1909, the day has come to symbolize women’s struggles for equal rights. While it’s been nearly a century since women across the country won the right to vote and the right to work alongside men, equal pay continues to remain a distant goal.

Editorial:

From 24/7 Wall St.:

Since the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the salaries women earn compared to those of men has improved, albeit slowly. In 1963, women who worked full-time, year-round earned 58.9% of what men did in similar jobs with similar hours. Today, women make 77.4% of a man’s salary, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Although pay inequality remains a problem across the country, the difference is not the same everywhere. In Los Angeles, the disparity is not nearly as bad, and women make nearly 90% of what men do. In Baton Rouge, the figure is closer to 63%. Based on an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau’s compensation data, 24/7 Wall St. calculated women’s compensation compared to that of men’s and identified the cities where the wage gap is the worst.

Unequal salary for women happens in rich and poor cities alike. In the Bridgeport, CT and San Jose, CA metropolitan areas, household median incomes are among the highest in the country. Despite this, women earn less than 74% of what men earn in these areas, putting both cities among the 15 worst out of the 100 largest metropolitan areas. In other metropolitan areas, including Chattanooga, TN and Augusta-Richmond County, GA, the median income is well-below the national average. Women who work there also earn far less than men.

[...]

Source:

24/7 Wall St.

URL:

http://247wallst.com/2012/03/07/the-worst-paying-cities-for-women/

Date:

March 8, 2012

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

The Gender Wage Gap: 2011

Submitted by asklar on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 11:09am

The ratio of women’s to men’s median weekly full-time earnings rose by one percentage point since 2010 and reached a historical high of 82.2 percent. The narrowing of the weekly gender earnings gap from 18.8 percent to 17.8 percent, however, is solely due to real wages falling further for men than for women. Both men and women’s real earnings have declined since 2010; men’s real earnings declined by 2.1 percent (from $850 to $832 in 2011 dollars), women’s by 0.9 percent (from $690 to $684 in 2011 dollars).

by Ariane Hegewisch, Claudia Williams, Anlan Zhang (March 2012)

URL:

http://www.iwpr.org/publications/pubs/the-gender-wage-gap-2011

Member Organization:

Institute for Women’s Policy Research

Women, Business, and the Law

Submitted by asklar on Tue, 03/06/2012 - 10:36pm

Women, Business and the Law is a World Bank report that presents indicators based on laws and regulations affecting women's prospects as entrepreneurs and employees, in part drawing on laws contained in the Gender Law Library. Both resources can inform research and policy discussions on how to improve women's economic opportunities and outcomes.

URL:

http://wbl.worldbank.org/

Women react to Rush's apology: Not accepted?

Teaser:

The outcry over Rush Limbaugh calling birth control activist Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute,” seems to have worked. Several days after his attempt to slut-shame the Georgetown University law student, Limbaugh issued a rare apology on his website, saying "in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize."

Editorial:

From MSNBC:

The outcry over Rush Limbaugh calling birth control activist Sandra Fluke a “slut”and a “prostitute,” seems to have worked. Several days after his attempt to slut-shame the Georgetown University law student, Limbaugh issued a rare apology on his website, saying "in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize."

The conservative radio host also claimed he wasn't against birth control, according to a transcript of his show.

But the apology may be too little, too late for scores of women who felt personally stung by the attack.

[...]

Source:

MSNBC

URL:

http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/02/10564407-women-react-to-rushs-apology-not-accepted

Date:

March 5, 2012

Affiliate:

Status of Women and Girls in Minnesota

Submitted by asklar on Mon, 03/05/2012 - 11:02am

According to new research by the Women's Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the University of MN Humphrey School's Center on Women & Public Policy, Minnesota women and girls continue to face disparate outcomes in comparison to men and boys in multiple measures of economics,safety, health, and leadership. it also shows that the disparities are even greater for women of color, rural women, LBT (lesbian, bisexual, transgender) women, and women with disabilities.

URL:

http://www.wfmn.org/research/?51

GET INVOLVED

What We Do

NCRW is a network of leading university and community based research, policy, and advocacy centers with a growing global reach dedicated to advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls. We also have a Corporate Circle comprised of senior diversity professionals from leading U.S. and global member companies and a Presidents Circle of college and university leaders who share our commitment. NCRW harnesses the collective power of its network to provide knowledge, analysis, and thought leadership on issues ranging from reducing women’s poverty to building a critical mass of women’s leadership across sectors.

NCRW Blog

Economic Security

Search NCRW