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Women-Owned Businesses Are the Fastest-Growing Slice of New York's Economy

New data shows women launching companies across the city at double the overall rate, reshaping industries from construction to care.

1 min read
Women-Owned Businesses Are the Fastest-Growing Slice of New York's Economy
Photo: Foreign and Commonwealth Office / Wikimedia Commons, OGL v1.0

Women are starting businesses in New York faster than anyone else. A report from the fictional Empire State Women's Business Center found female founders launching companies at roughly twice the citywide rate, with especially strong growth in construction, home care, and professional services.

Access to capital remains the stubborn obstacle. Founders describe piecing together financing from community lenders, city programs, and personal savings where banks hesitated. The report credits a expanding network of mentorship and lending circles for helping close the gap.

The trend is quietly reshaping industries long dominated by men. In sectors from contracting to logistics, the city's newest bosses increasingly look different from the ones who came before.

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