We are thrilled to announce that the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) is a 2020 Census Partner! We look forward to supporting the U.S. Census Bureau in its monumental efforts to secure a successful decennial count across the nation.
H.R. 5050, the Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988, established the NWBC as a federal advisory committee dedicated to the empowerment of women entrepreneurs, and among other provisions, required the U.S. Census Bureau to include women-owned C Corporations when reporting data. Before the passage of this landmark legislation, government agencies tracked mostly self-employed women but overlooked larger women-owned enterprises.
Since its inception, the NWBC has relied heavily on data collection from the U.S. Census Bureau to fulfill its statutory obligation and mission. The Council is statutorily charged with, in relevant part, promoting and assisting in the development of a women’s business census and other surveys of women-owned businesses.
The U.S. Constitution mandates that each person be counted every 10 years. These critical results determine the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives, direct the effective distribution of federal funds, and assist small business owners in choosing where to start, grow, and scale their businesses. The data also allows the NWBC to better convey the irreplaceable economic impact of women’s business enterprise and more effectively advocate for the policies that empower women business owners and entrepreneurs.
We cannot measure what we cannot count. So female founders…Make the pledge now! Achieving a complete and accurate 2020 Census starts with you!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Temren Wroge
202-738-3523
Temren.Wroge@sba.gov
The U.S. Census Bureau today released new statistics from the 2018 Annual Business Survey (ABS). Since its founding in 1988, the NWBC has depended on data collection from the U.S. Census Bureau to fulfill its statutory obligation and mission. The Council must, in relevant part, promote and assist in the development of a women’s business census and other surveys of women-owned businesses. We are thrilled to share the most recent findings relating to women-owned employer firms.
Estimates show that in 2017 1.1 million employer firms were owned by women. The sectors with the most women-owned businesses included the health care and social assistance industry with 16.9% (192,159), professional, scientific, and technical services with 16.4% (185,649), and the retail trade industry with 11.7% (132,894).
Please click here to view the complete release.
ABS data accounts for only 10% of women-owned firms in the U.S., as the overwhelming majority are nonemployer businesses (those without employees). NWBC continues to highlight the need for timelier, reliable data collection efforts that ensure every woman-owned business in America is counted. We look forward to the completion of the Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics (NES-D) product, which will provide a more holistic look at the landscape of women’s business enterprise.
ICYMI – In April, we announced that the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) is a 2020 Census!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Temren Wroge
202-738-3523
Temren.Wroge@sba.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C. – (December 17, 2020) – The U.S. Census Bureau today released 2017 estimates from its premier blended-data statistical product, the Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics (NES-D). This new product provides the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) with comprehensive data and a clearer picture of the women’s business enterprise landscape including women sole proprietors, partnerships, and S-corporations.
Approximately 90% of women-owned businesses are nonemployer firms. Given the lack of precise data in previous years, NWBC recently entered into an Interagency Agreement with the Census Bureau to fund the development of custom tabulations on women-owned employer and nonemployer firms. These unique products will utilize data from both the Annual Business Survey (ABS), which accounts only for employer firms, and from the NES-D. This is critical.
We cannot measure what we cannot count.
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Today, NWBC is pleased to share the following highlights on women-owned nonemployer firms:
As of 2017, there are 10.6 million woman-owned nonemployer firms across all sectors in the United States. These firms generate $286.1 billion in revenue.
Revenue Size for Women-Owned Nonemployer Firms
Nearly half of all women-owned nonemployer firms generate less than $10,000 in annual receipts.
Approximately 5,100, or .05%, of all women-owned nonemployer firms generate $1 million or more in revenue.
Top Five Sectors for Women-Owned Nonemployer Firms
| Sector | Total Number of Women-Owned Nonemployer Firms[1] | Total Revenue Generated |
| Other Services (except public administration) | 2,049,000 (19.4% of all women-owned nonemployer firms) | $42.4 billion |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,449,000 (13.7% of all women-owned nonemployer firms) | $34.9 billion |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,428,000 (13.5% of all women-owned nonemployer firms) | $46.2 billion |
| Retail Trade | 1,172,000 (11.1% of all women-owned nonemployer firms) | $27.1 billion |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management | 1,139,000 (10.8% of all women-owned nonemployer firms) | $18.2 billion |
Top Five States for Women-Owned Nonemployer Firms
| State | Total Number of Women-Owned Nonemployer Firms | Total Revenue Generated |
| California | 1,392,000 | $45,887,822,000 |
| Texas | 992,000 | $26,507,028,000 |
| Florida | 935,000 | $23,565,745,000 |
| New York | 668,000 | $20,602,854,000 |
| Georgia | 416,000 | $9,572,384,000 |
[1] The numbers of nonemployer firms in the following tables have been rounded to the nearest 1,000 following disclosure avoidance rules.
Contact:
Jordan Chapman
202-941-6001
Jordan.Chapman@sba.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C. – (May 30, 2023) – The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC), announced today that it will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM EDT.
This meeting will allow the Council to hear from subject matter experts on issues related to women’s entrepreneurship. After opening with guest remarks, the meeting will also allow Access to Capital and Opportunity Subcommittee Chair Roberta McCullough, Women in STEM Subcommittee Chair Selena Rodgers Dickerson, and Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Subcommittee Chair Kathy Cochran to provide updates to the full Council on the activities of each of their respective subcommittees.
Council Members Pamela Prince-Eason and Katica Roy will then moderate a panel featuring representatives from Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBUs) and leaders in federal contracting across the federal government. The focus of this conversation will be how women business owners can connect to contracting opportunities and include:
- Alisa Sheard, U.S. Small Business Administration
- Calvin J. Mitchell Jr., U.S. Department of Education
- Tamara L. Miles, U.S. Department of Energy
- Denise Benjamin Sirmons, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Shelly Thomas, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The public will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide comments in advance of the meeting. These questions will be responded to during a session led by Council Member Samantha Abrams.
The Council encourages public comment and feedback. NWBC staff and/or a Council Member will read the first five questions or statements with most relevance to the topic of women’s business enterprise. Responses can be submitted through the Eventbrite registration page or by emailing info@nwbc.gov with any comments, though all responses must be submitted by June 6th.
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About The National Women’s Business Council
The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) is a non-partisan federal advisory committee created to serve as an independent source of advice and counsel to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on issues of importance to women business owners. To learn more, please visit: www.NWBC.gov.