2006 Catalyst Census of Women Corporate Officers and Top Earners of the Fortune 500
For the first time, Catalyst presents its hallmark Census of women corporate officers and top earners as a web-only feature and in a new graphic format. This document details the percentage of corporate officer positions held by women, the percentage of top earner jobs held by women, the percentage of women and men corporate officers in line and staff positions, and the number of companies with zero, one, two, and three or more women officers. The appendices list the companies by industry, and the average number and percentage or women directors by industry, geographic region, and Fortune 500 rank.
Impetus: In 1995, Catalyst began to produce an annual census to clarify the status of women corporate officers and top earners of the largest companies in the United States. The census was designed to establish accurate statistics, to create a way to use the standard practice of benchmarking to promote women's advancement and to generate focused attention on this issue.
Methodology:
- Catalyst analyzed the leadership of each company in the Fortune 500 as published in April 2006.
- Catalyst reported the data we obtained from public records.
- The report details the gender diversity of corporate governance at Fortune 500 companies as of April 1, 2006.
Findings: In 2006, women held 15.6 percent of corporate officer positions at Fortune 500 companies, down from 16.4 percent in 2005. Women held 6.7 percent of top earner positions, up from 6.4 percent in 2005. The number of companies with no women corporate officers decreased from 67 in 2005 to 64 in 2006, but the number of companies with three or more women board directors also decreased from 236 in 2005 to 234 in 2006. The number of women in line and staff positions was unchanged.
Appendices:
