In a study of U.S. small businesses — with an average size of 6 employees — researchers made three discoveries. (1) Most men worked in firms that employed primarily men, while most women worked in firms that employed primarily women. (2) Both the gender and the education of the business owner were systematicallly related to the hiring of female employees. (3) Firms with a higher percentage of male employees paid higher wages and salaries.

The data for these findings are based upon the U. S. Census Bureau’s 1982 Characteristics of Business Owners (CBO) survey. Every 5 years, the CBO survey gathers information on a sample of female and minority business owners and a comparable sample of nonminority male business owners. The businesses are sole proprietorships, partnerships, or sub-chapter S corporations.

Others in Series

Publication

Export Manufacturers Compete Successfully

January 1995

This brief uses newly available data on the U.S. manufacturing sector, specifically export manufacturers.

Publication

Who Exports? Who Buys?

January 1995

This brief presents data on the number of U.S. exporting firms and locations, their economic characteristics, and the destinations to which they export.

Publication

Our Scholastic Society

November 1994

This brief uses data collected by the Current Population Survey to examine various enrollment trends at different levels of school.

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Related Information

Employment Publications

Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons Publications

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