Gender equality is often identified as a major factor in the economic growth of the United States. This is often illustrated by the participation of women in the workforce. When women are not directly immersed in our labor force, only part of the capable population is utilized and as a result, economic resources are wasted. Gender equality gives women equal opportunities in the work force, allowing them to fill every sector available and applicable to their skills. This leads to an expansion of the labor force and increase in economic productivity. (Source 1).
Despite the data found that shows that gender equality correlates with economic growth of a nation, gender inequality in the American workforce is undeniable. In 1979, women made about 62 percent as much as their male counterparts did; however, as women’s rights and feminism continued to grow and women became empowered this percentage improved. In the 1970s and 1980s, women’s participation grew exponentially, reaching 60 percent in 2000. (Source 1) The equality in pay has increased greatly since the 1970s. In 2013, women were paid seventy-eight percent of what men were paid. (Source 3) This shrinkage of inequality gap might seem like a step in the right direction; however, women’s participation in the U.S labor force has been declining. In 2010, women’s participation in the work force dropped to 46.7 and economics predicted that it would not increase significantly until 2018. (Source 2)
Women’s presence in different sectors of the work force also impact social views and economic growth. Women are mainly present in three main areas: education and health services, trade, transportation and utilities, and local government. They are under represented in professional, scientific and technical services and construction, which are mainly dominated by men. (Source 2) The inequality of the representation of sexes in the work force often leads to occupational inequality, which is the unequal treatment of people based on their gender or race in the work force. Women are also under-represented in leadership positions. In 2009, only 24 percent of CEOs in the United States were women and they earned 74.5 percent as much as male CEOs. (Source 2) Although there has seem to be progress in closing the gender gap in their overall presence in the workforce, the progress in closing the gender gap in leadership presence has been stalled. There hasn’t been much change in the percentage in the past decade. In 2007, companies with three or more women on the Board of Directors averaged 28 times more money in philanthropic donations than those with no women. Companies with 25 percent or more women in leadership positions as Corporate Officers averaged 13 times more philanthropic donations than those with none.
The evidence for the positive impact that gender equality has on our economy and overall nation is overwhelming; however, these problems persist. It is necessary to address these problems if we want the American economy to flourish and grow.
Sources
- Economic Growth: Gender Equality and Economic Growth. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://sitemaker.umich.edu/sec006group4/gender_equality_and_economic_growth
- Gender Inequality and Women in the US Labor Force. (2011, November 23). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://www.ilo.org/washington/areas/gender-equality-in-the-workplace/WCMS_159496/lang–en/index.htm
- The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (Spring 2015). (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/
- Fact Sheet: The Women’s Leadership Gap. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/report/2014/03/07/85457/fact-sheet-the-womens-leadership-gap/
To me the fact that “In 2010, women’s participation in the work force dropped to 46.7 and economics predicted that it would not increase significantly until 2018.” is shocking. This is such a small figure that I feel does not truly reflective the progressive era we are in now. I wonder if this is because women are opting out of the workforce to raise families. If so this is a difficult problem to address. This is because the modern workplace is very unfriendly towards mothers. The U.S. is one of the few countries without paid maternity leave. Women are also hired less often because employers if she are pregnant as employers fear this will negatively impact their job performance. I think allowing women to have a healthy work-life balance, which includes the option of raising a family, will increase women’s participation in the workforce.
I think it is absolutely true that under-representation of certain demographics in the workplace leads to “occupational inequality.” I have never thought about this correlation before.