Did you know that women affect the GDP? Neither did they!

     Since more women than ever before are going into the workforce, they contribute tremendously to our GDP. From the 1970’s until today, women account for approximately one-fourth of America’s GDP. Women have helped the GDP growth rate increase 3%! Although the number of women entering the economy is basically leveling out (because there are only so many women available to work, for various reasons), it’s important that women maintain their position in the workforce because otherwise our GDP rate may lower. This could cause our country to go deeper into a recession, which is something Americans do not want to continue happening. Still, if each state could increase the number of women in the workforce to 84%, that would be 5.1 million women added, which would possibly trigger the GDP to grow 4%. 

Barsh, Joanna. "Organization." Unlocking the Full Potential of Women in the US Economy.  

 McKinsey & Company, Apr. 2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2012.

In the Harvard Business Review, Slyvia Hewlett expands more upon this, suggesting that women could even help the GDP grow by 5%! Link: http://blogs.hbr.org/hbr/hewlett/2012/11/more_women_in_the_workforce_could_raise_gdp.html