Financial uncertainty impacts everybody, however new information exhibits girls small enterprise homeowners are feeling the pressure extra acutely. This rising unease is not only a response to headlines; it displays actual considerations about inflation, market volatility, and long-term enterprise viability. And it is shaping how girls view the financial system and their monetary future at a time when girls are beginning companies at file charges and play an more and more vital position in shaping native economies.
In our newest CNBC|SurveyMonkey Q2 2025 Small Enterprise Survey, girls small enterprise homeowners are extra seemingly than their male counterparts to specific unease about in the present day’s financial system, from the chance of inflation and rising prices to considerations a few looming recession. Whereas small enterprise possession is usually related to optimism and self-reliance, these findings recommend that for a lot of girls, in the present day’s financial panorama feels unsure, if not unsustainable.
Whereas many male small enterprise homeowners report confidence sooner or later, their feminine counterparts really feel in another way. When requested concerning the state of the financial system, just one in 5 (21%) girls small enterprise homeowners say that the financial system is “wonderful” or “good”, in comparison with 34% of males. In step with that very same sentiment, they’re extra more likely to consider that the U.S. is heading towards a recession (76% vs. 67%) and usually tend to cite inflation as a threat to their enterprise (27% vs. 22% for males).
This hole in sentiment is not only a distinction in temper, it displays a distinction in expertise. Simply over two-thirds (69%) of girls small enterprise homeowners admit they really feel harassed about their enterprise’s funds in the present day, in comparison with solely a bit over half (55%) of males.
Our information illustrates that the gender hole in sentiment additionally extends to how girls small enterprise homeowners view the present administration. When requested in the event that they approve of Trump’s presidency to this point, solely 39% of girls small enterprise homeowners categorical approval, in comparison with 54% of males. In terms of tariffs, the divide is comparable. Absolutely 63% of girls small enterprise homeowners oppose the president’s tariffs, in contrast with 48% of males.
This extra destructive view seemingly displays each the actual pressures girls enterprise homeowners face and the broader realities of how completely different teams expertise financial coverage. Our information additionally affirms that ladies small enterprise homeowners usually tend to establish as Democrats, including complexity to how political and financial sentiment work together.
The unease expressed by girls small enterprise homeowners does not signify pessimism; slightly, it highlights a nuanced perspective formed by lived experiences and acute consciousness of financial dynamics. Girls personal greater than 12 million small companies within the US, contributing considerably to the nation’s financial system. They’re additionally beginning companies at file charges, fueling development in native economies and shaping the way forward for work.
Their views, particularly in periods of financial uncertainty, supply invaluable insights into the challenges confronted by a considerable section of the enterprise group.
—By Eric Johnson, CEO, SurveyMonkey
