When it comes to the wage gap, Idaho women have a long way to go to be equal. But what about women entrepreneurs? A new report points to some promising findings in the Gem State.
Idaho women make about 78 cents to every dollar a man makes, according to an analysis by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While that might sound bleak, a new report shows that women own more than half of businesses in Idaho, ranking it second in the country per capita.
Alice Williams is with Frontier Business, which put the report together.
“It was interesting to see that the states with the highest amount of women-owned businesses were towards the west coast of the country," says Williams, "and that states with the lowest percentage of women-owned businesses were all in the Northeast.”
She points out that Washington, Wyoming and Oregon all rank high – while New Mexico tops the list.
Williams isn’t sure what’s causing so many women in Idaho to start their own business, but says maybe it’s something in the water.
“There could just be a very entrepreneurial spirit amongst Idaho women.”
She says it’s also remarkable because Idaho is one of the only states that doesn’t have a Women’s Business Center.
Find reporter Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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