Women-owned businesses continue to fuel the economy, representing 39.1% of all businesses – over 14 million – employing 12.2 million workers, and generating $2.7 trillion in revenue. According to the 2024 Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Business Report, in partnership with Ventureneer, CoreWoman, and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), the number of women-owned businesses between 2019 and 2023 increased at nearly double the rate of those owned by men; and from 2022 to 2023, the rate of growth increased to 4.5 times.
Whether it was during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 or supply chain disruptions throughout the pandemic, women business owners are driving economic growth:
- During the onset of the pandemic in 2020, despite business closures, women launched more businesses than they closed, while the number of men-owned businesses declined. Women-owned businesses also grew their workforces and increased their revenue while men’s numbers shrank.
- From 2019 to 2023, women-owned businesses’ growth rate outpaced the rate of men’s 94.3% for number of firms, 252.8% for employment, and 82.0% for revenue.
- During the pandemic, women-owned businesses added 1.4 million jobs and $579.6 billion in revenue to the economy.
- Nearly half a million women-owned businesses with revenues between $250,000 and $999,999 grew their aggregate revenues by about 30%, illustrating their ambition, grit, and readiness to cross the $1 million revenue threshold.