Woman In The Workforce (March 17,2009)
We received a Press Release that made us wonder what is going on with women in the workforce.
This week will be dedicated to reviewing some data and thinking on this topic.
We love a silver lining and Robert Graber, founder and CEO of WallStJobs.com gives us one below. Years of unequal pay is now going to let women keep their jobs and move into better positions while their better compensated, male counterparts find themselves unemployed.
Here is the Press Release:
UNEMPLOYMENT SPIKES, BUT WOMEN FARE BETTER THAN MEN
WallStJobs.com Sees Women Retaining Jobs at a Higher Rate
NEW YORK, NY (February 24, 2009) - While headlines tout the latest 7.6 percent unemployment rate as the highest since 1992, that number does not tell the whole story. Since the recession began in December 2007, jobless rates for men rose from 4.4 percent to 7.6 percent. However, the number of unemployed women has only risen to 6.2 percent. Robert Graber, founder and CEO of WallStJobs.com, an online career site dedicated to the banking and brokerage community, thinks this is no accident.
"For years, women have railed against pay inequity—female workers typically earn 80 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, working fewer hours and getting fewer benefits," says Graber. "That discrepancy may work to their advantage in job retention now, as women are keeping their jobs at a much higher rate than men because they are less expensive."
While Graber says it may seem counter-intuitive to think of unequal pay and benefits as a positive, he has a longer-term vision. As 82 percent of the pink slips being handed out go to men and women remain in the workforce at their highest levels in history, now making up nearly half of all workers, the talent pipelines at many companies will be skewed female. Graber believes that will give more women the opportunities to assume top posts at financial institutions, as well as in fields ranging from health care to consumer products, and even in politics, ultimately leveling the compensation fields, regardless of the worker's gender.
"We're witnessing the start of a new era of change, of equality, and of accountability. As women weather this economic storm as a result of previous slights in compensation and power, the 'men's clubs' of certain industries, including Wall Street, will be replaced with networks of powerful women who have succeeded in spite of dire economic circumstances," says Graber.
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About WallStJobs.com
WallStJobs.com is the premier recruiting source exclusively for financial service professionals and is a member of the Jobosaurus family of uniquely specialized recruiting sites.
Let's take a look at some statistics. Source numbers came from the BLS.
Labor Force Numbers (Numbers in thousands)
BLS Definitions: Labor force (Current Population Survey)
The labor force includes all persons classified as employed or unemployed in accordance with the definitions contained in this glossary.
Labor force participation rate
The labor force as a percent of the civilian noninstitutional population.
Unemployment rate
The unemployment rate represents the number unemployed as a percent of the labor force.
General trend show womens unemployment rates running below or equal to mens since 1982.