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MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: Business in America is growing, but attitudes don’t seem to be changing. If you looked at Fortune 500 companies, you wouldn’t find many women at the top. Last year women held only 16 percent of corporate officer positions. Hillary Wicai has more on a new study out today.

HILLARY WICAI: The non-profit research firm Catalyst has been studying this issue for 10 years. And 2005 was the lowest yearly gain for women corporate officers.

Catalyst President Ilene Lang says lack of role models, lack of access to informal networks and good old fashioned gender stereotyping are to blame.

She says women are seen as people that “take care, not take charge.” And she says that also hurts men.

ILENE LANG:“It is suggesting men don’t have family obligations. It’s quite unfair because we know men and women both want to have a better balance of both work and life.”

Catalyst studies show equal numbers of men and women aspire to top jobs, whether or not they have kids at home.

In Washington, I’m Hillary Wicai for Marketplace.