Women Rising: Five Predictions for Women in the 2012 Workplace

“Women Rising: Five Predictions for Women in the Workplace—2012” is from the upcoming book Society 3.0: How Technology Is Reshaping Education, Work, and Society, by Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti (Lang, January 2012).
Women now influence more than 25% of the U.S. GDP and hold nearly 48% of all jobs. Without women, the U.S. economy would be 25% smaller than it is today. These encouraging facts come from a new book by Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, Society 3.0: How Technology Is Reshaping Education, Work, and Society.
In Society 3.0, Dr. Wilen-Daugenti presents a compelling case for how women’s prospects in business are on the rise. Based on her research at Apollo Research Institute, she predicts that in 2012, women in the workplace will reach the following milestones:

1. More women will become leaders in the workplace.

In 2012, 18 women will be running Fortune 500 companies—the highest number yet. This confirms a rising trend of women’s corporate leadership. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that in 2009, 40% of managers in the workforce were women. In 2010, women held 15.7% of board seats at Fortune 500 companies.

2. Women-owned firms will drive job creation and employment.

Women business owners employ 35% more people than all the Fortune 500 companies combined. Women own 10.1 million U.S. firms, employing more than 13 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in sales as of 2008.

3. Women will obtain higher education in greater numbers.

Women now earn more degrees than men, with graduates from all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups racing past men in rates of completing programs of study. Women aged 25 to 34 are more likely to have a college degree and are more likely than men to go to graduate school. By 2012, women are expected to earn 60% of bachelor’s degrees, 63% of master’s degrees, and 54% of doctoral and professional degrees.

4. Women will launch their own businesses and work for themselves.

To adapt to the challenges of the recession, create more flexible work schedules, and circumvent the limits of a male-dominated corporate culture, women are starting businesses and becoming self-employed. Women-owned businesses are growing in number at twice the rate of all U.S. firms (23% vs. 9%), and the ranks of women business owners are increasing by 23% annually, 2.5 times faster than the growth of businesses in general.

5. Women-owned businesses will outperform the market.

Studies show that women-owned businesses tend to be more financially successful than comparable companies run by men, and that women-friendly corporations also have higher profits. Companies with more women on their board of directors had a 53% higher return on equity than those with the fewest women board members. Furthermore, one study of the 25 best corporations for working women showed these companies had 34% higher profits than those less favorable to female employees.
Learn more about the book Society 3.0 at http://apolloresearchinstitute.com/society-30-how-technology-reshaping-education-work-and-society and visit Apollo Research Institute: www.apolloresearchinstitute.com