Female Supremacy Articles - Page 10

Screen 12 of 17

"These firms are driving growth in the American workplace," said Joy Ott, spokeswoman for the Women's Business Services program at Wells Fargo & Company, which paid for the study.

According to the study, businesses owned by women are found in all industries, but 45 percent, or 4.9 million, are service companies; 16.4 percent, or 1.8 million, are in retail; 9 percent, or 966,662, in finance, insurance or real estate; and 6 percent, or 652,807, in construction.

The construction business has experienced a major increase in the number of companies owned by women. From 1997 to 2004, the study found, the number of construction companies owned by women increased 30 percent.

In transportation, communications and public utilities, growth in the number of businesses owned by women was 28 percent, and agricultural services grew 24 percent.

The No. 1 state in 2004 for companies owned by women was California, followed by Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois and Ohio. The rankings were based on a combination of factors.

Immunological bases for superior survival of females.

Purtilo DT, Sullivan JL.