Monday, February 8, 2010

Women Taking Over the Workforce

NY Times details that women, for the first time in recorded history, outnumber men in the workforce (on a non-seasonally adjusted basis):

For the first time in recorded history, women outnumber men on the nation’s payrolls.

This benchmark is bittersweet, as it comes largely at men’s expense. Because men have been losing their jobs faster than women, the downturn has at times been referred to as a “man-cession.”

Women’s new majority in the nation’s workplaces comes decades after women first began trading in their aprons for pantsuits in droves, and it reinforces expectations that women will continue on the path to pay parity.


Source: BLS

5 comments:

  1. If you graph college costs and various child care costs with the workforce graph you would see they are identical. Women entered the work force and everything just got more expensive by the amount they made. Sad you have to try twice as hard to get to the same place.

    Oh yeah,
    SAINTS WIN!!!

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  2. I can't help but wonder if this doesn't have something to do with the fact that employers can get away with paying women less (since we have not reached gender wage parity) and, therefore, women are an "inferior good" in the economic sense of the word, i.e. as marginal wages go down, female employment goes up... Anyone else have that thought?

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  3. As you point out, women still don't make as much as their male counterparts in part due to sexism that is still around (i.e. most corporations are still "boys clubs").

    But there is another huge factor at play. Women who do have kids are likely to leave the workforce in the prime of the building of their careers (think 20's / early 30's) then if they return, they are more likely than males to pursue flexible schedules vs. long hours.

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  4. GYC- congrats on the big win!

    interesting with costs vs. women entering the workforce. if the case is overall demand coming from overall labor force supply, we should be entering a period of reversal if my post scheduled for tomorrow is any indication...

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  5. Men and women should operate as a team, both within a corporate environment and outside one with synergy in mind. Members of either gender should not feel threatened by the presence or performance of the opposite sex. What we need is a positive approach to life and business in an attempt to increase personal, corporate, national, and international welfare.
    The social, cultural, and political attitudes of modern society have enabled women to seize some power from men, despite being treated unfairly by unethical leaders, who continue to reinforce the "glass ceiling" and, in some cases, despite having to leave the workforce due to family considerations, and then return a few years later. Women understand that fruitful conversations promote sound business relationships and teamwork, thus contributing to an improvement in the bottom line.
    Women are usually well organized: they manage a dual career, as homemakers and professional employees. Women often regard their fellow employees as family and take time to ascertain their personal needs. Hence, they can sometimes be taken undue advantage of. Competition is strange to most women because they were groomed for caring, rather than winning!

    Fay Weldon, a writer, stated, “Worry less about what other people think of you, and more about what you think about them.” A former mayor of Ottawa once said, “Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought of as half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult!”

    When women start to follow in the footsteps of many men, by being intoxicated by power, they lose their identity and bearings. Women should focus on a diplomatic approach and learn how to exude self-confidence while maintaining self-respect and deal with the competition without being intimidated or taken undue advantage of.

    Women who achieve powerful positions in the corporate world may be subjected to personal and professional attacks because of their gender. Independent women are strong, fearless, and in control of their homes, families, emotions, and their working environment. They tackle problems with a heads-on approach, being steadfast in their pursuit of success and happiness.

    I have a policy of distributing free abridged versions of my books on leadership, ethics, teamwork, motivation, women, bullying and sexual harassment, trade unions, business law, etc., to anyone who sends a request to crespin79@hotmail.com.

    Maxwell Pinto, Business Author
    http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/Management-TidbitsForTheNewMillenium.html

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