Your Economic Influence

You are in control of impressive economic power and have major influence. Whether it feels like it or not, you are a difference maker. Here are the facts:

You are making the money.

• In the U.S., women hold at least 50-percent ownership in 10.1 million businesses, employ 13 million people, and generate $1.9 trillion in sales.
• If U.S.-based women-owned businesses were their own country, they'd have the fifth largest gross domestic product in the world—ahead of France, the U.K., and Italy.
• Women represent a growth market contributing to the economy—that is more than twice that of China and India combined.

You hold decision-making power.

• Women control $20 trillion in annual global spending.
• Women control consumer spending by purchasing 90 percent of the food, 55 percent of consumer electronics, and most of the new cars.
• Women oversee more than 40 percent of households with assets greater than $600,000.
• 60 percent of women are the primary breadwinners.
• 57 percent of women primarily handle major investment decisions and retirement planning.