Women-owned businesses nearly double in N.C.

The number of woman-owned businesses has nearly doubled in North Carolina over the last 16 years, says a report released Thursday, commissioned by American Express OPEN. 

The "State of Women-Owned Business" report, which relied on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, also shows that North Carolina ranks third in the nation for its growth in number of women-owned firms - 90.9 percent - since 1997. 

Nationally, the number of women-owned businesses has increased 59 percent since 1997.

North Carolina state has an estimated 267,000 women-owned firms, employing 268,100, and the firms are expected to generate $35.8 billion in revenue this year. 

The report includes data across industry, revenue and employment size at the national and state levels. 

Access the full report here.