The ongoing recession is hurting American households--women and men alike. Though men account for a greater share of the job losses, women are bearing a greater share of the economic burden as they struggle to keep their families going. That is especially true in the world of small business, where women play a particularly important role, and which has suffered most severely from the recession and the slow rate of our recovery.
A survey released this week by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. revealed that fewer Americans are starting their own businesses than ever before. Only 3.7% of Americans who were looking for jobs decided to start their own business in the first half of 2010-- an all-time low. That means that women business owners have been hit especially hard by the recession, since women start new businesses twice as often as men do.
Women can lead the way to economic recovery--if Congress stops raising taxes, over-regulating, and crushing economic confidence. When our economy is safe for small and start-up businesses again, women will find, and create, new opportunities for all. The new economy that emerges from the ashes of the recession should also be one that prioritizes equal pay for equal work, and that respects flexibility in working hours.
We also need new ideas to help women in particular, and small business owners in general, grow their businesses. One of the best ideas I have heard, as I have met with entrepreneurs in my district, is a proposal for mentorships, through which large companies would be given incentives for training small business owners. That kind of policy would be especially useful for women as they break through enduring barriers.
This Sunday morning, my campaign is holding “Joel For Jobs: A Walk For Work.” I’ll be walking from Dempster/Greenwood Beach in Evanston to our campaign office in Niles, in order to raise awareness about the economic crisis in our district and to help people find new opportunities. The women and men--primarily women!--who have planned this project have done a great job. Join us along the way, and at http://walkforwork.org/!
