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Jobs and job search for women is different than it is for men, even in these "enlightened" days of the 21st century. Current studies show that women still have most of the responsibility in the family for taking care of the family, which includes both children and aging parents, often simultaneously.
On January 28, 2009, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act upholding one of this nation's founding principles. He said: “That we are all created equal and each deserves a chance to pursue our own version of happiness. In signing this bill today, I intend to send a clear message that making our economy work means making sure it works for everyone”.
This confirmation is a major turning point for women today! Women have come into a power position that will continue to grow through the rest of this decade and beyond. Women are 51.5% of the full time work force, control 66% of global consumer spending (Boston Consulting Group 2009), and starting businesses 2 to 1 over any other ethnic group (Center for Women’s Business Research) and represent 60% of students in college now.
Some additional impressive data:
- Women owned firms (50% or more) account for 40% of all privately held firms.
- 10.1 million Firms are owned by women (50% or more)
- Women owned businesses are Employing 13 million people
- Women owned businesses represent 1.9 trillion in sales.
Source: Dept of Labor Statistics, SBA office of Women's Business Ownership
Although the numbers, data and trends are strong for women, we still have to “earn our place” in the workplace. Now is a time of great opportunity for women in the workplace. Women should not have to approach job search differently, but perceptions about how women assert themselves are still strong. When you go into it qualified, current, prepared and relevant, you set yourself up to compete and get any job that you want!
In 2009, Harvard Business School studied the leadership of 2,000 of the world's top performing companies. In an article entitled, Why So Few? they found only 29 (1.5%) of the CEO's were women. For the Fortune 500 Global list, the percent is barely better at 2.6% (15 women CEO's out of 500). Things do seem to be improving, if only very slowly, because 19 of the 29 women in the 2,000 top performing companies got their jobs in 2002 or later.
At all levels of the public and private sectors, we see more women at work, but not necessarily in charge (yet). And, still, most American families would find it tough to survive on only one income.
So, women need to find jobs, and Job-Hunt (woman-owned and woman-managed) will do its best to help with specific articles on the subject in this section of Job-Hunt and with all of the resources and information available in Job-Hunt.
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