The Metamorphosis of a Woman Business Owner: A Focus on Age

This study examines how women's business ownership changes over time by age. It finds that young owners experienced growth in ownership between 2012 and 2020 and that younger employer businesses were mostly owned by women under the age of 35 in 2021. Additional key findings include that among women aged 45 to 54 and those aged 55 to 64 ownership rates declined 5.5% and 4.8% between 2012 and 2020, implying an acceleration in the drop out of entrepreneurship for mid to late career age groups. Older owners operate most businesses in capital-intensive industries, had more prior businesses, and higher rates of selling their most recently started businesses. Finally, age groups often characterized as childbearing ages found balancing work and family as key drivers of their decision to start a business.

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