Disparities in Capital Access between Minority and Non-Minority-Owned Businesses: The Troubling Reality of Capital Limitations Faced by MBEs

摘要

Minority business enterprises (MBEs) make a substantial contribution to the U.S. economy, generating $661 billion in total gross receipts in 2002. Minority-owned firms also employed 4.7 million people with an annual payroll totaling $115 billion. The growth rates in the total number of firms, employment and gross receipts of minority-owned businesses far outpaced non-minority-owned businesses between 1997 and 2002. Had minority-owned businesses reached economic parity, the U.S. economy would have recorded higher levels of key economic activity estimated at $2.5 trillion in gross receipts and 16.1 million employees. As defined by the Minority Business Development Agency, economic parity is achieved when the level of business activity of a business group is proportional to that groups representation in the U.S. adult population.