Work in Progress

Work in Progress: Women’s Continued Strides in the U.S. Workforce

By Joyce Russell

By now, we’ve all seen the statistics related to women in the workplace:  though women account for just over 50 percent of the U.S. workforce – a number which only increased during the recession – they still only earn 77.5 cents for every dollar made by their male colleagues, according to the United States Department of Labor. The number of women executives at the top is increasing every day, though at a snail’s pace, and the numbers could certainly be stronger at Fortune 500 companies, where there are only 15 women CEOs.

Nearly 40 years after entering the professional workforce, women have made some incredible strides, not only in the positions of power we have attained, but also – and perhaps more importantly – in the types of fields we’re entering. Every time you turn on the TV or read the newspaper, there’s a story of a woman who has reached a professional milestone that would’ve been considered impossible at another time. Some of these milestones make headlines, such as Madeline Albright, who was appointed as the first woman Secretary of State, paving the way for Hillary Clinton in this role today.  Others occur more quietly, like the woman who graduates first in her class at business school, or the one who earns a highly coveted and competitive promotion in a company where she’s surrounded by mostly men. These women are our future.

All signs point to the fact that women are now holding more jobs that were once dominated by men. In fact, women today account for more than half (51 percent) of all high-paying positions in professional or management careers.  According to the Department of Labor, there is a higher percentage of employed women in a variety of positions that were historically (and stereotypically) seen as ‘male jobs’, including budget analysts, financial managers, medical scientists, insurance underwriters, tax examiners and revenue agents, education administrators, accountants, and veterinarians. These careers show that women aren’t just filling jobs that were once reserved for men; they’re excelling at them in extraordinary ways.

While women are certainly making terrific strides in traditionally male-dominated roles, recent data shows the top three professions for women – administrative assistants, registered nurses, and elementary school teachers – follow somewhat stereotypical gender roles. However, this fact is what may have helped women fare better than men in our current economy, as more traditional ‘male’ careers such as finance and manufacturing were the first to be hit by layoffs. Recession or no recession, there will always be a need for teachers, nurses, and administrative assistants. Nursing, in particular, is on track to grow 26 percent by 2016.

Undoubtedly, there is still plenty of work to be done to help women earn the respect – and money – they deserve in today’s workplace. But this is a time for optimism, not sour grapes. The professional strides that women have achieved, especially over the past 25 years, are what our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers fought so hard for many years ago. For every woman who becomes a CEO of a major company, gets appointed to the Supreme Court, or breaks into a traditional male profession such as engineering, finance, and IT, there is a young girl watching and learning that she can pursue any career path she wants, a dream that might not have been possible a few decades ago.  Quite simply, there has never been a better time to be a woman in the workplace – and that’s a fact you can take to the bank.

Joyce Russell, EVP & President of Adecco Staffing US, oversees field operations and executes new growth strategies to help sustain Adecco’s role as the global leader in workforce solutions.