How Women Fared As Obama Grew Jobs

How Women Fared As Obama Grew Jobs The final Obama administration jobs report, released last Friday, marked 75 consecutive months of growth for American workers, but much work remains, especially for womens employment. Positive numbers abound for the general public, unless you believe President-Elect Trumps lines that nothing good happened on the hiring front under Obama. Obamas jobs report may paint a rosy picture, yet it excludes the fact that working women are still struggling in three key areas the gender pay gap, affordable child care and effectively matching opportunity with skill.First, the good news.According to the report, 156,000 jobs were created in December 2016, a final contribution to the tally of just over two mio jobs added throughout 2016. While the number keeps positive momentum heading in the right direction, unemployment did increase by.1% to 4.7%. Job growth also missed the projected mark, as leading economists held expectations of 183,000 jobs being added in Dec ember.Two million jobs certainly sounds like a lot, but one way to quantify these results are to put them in historical perspective the U.S. labor market faced record-high unemployment when Obama took office in 2009, the highest since the recession in the early 80s. The month Obama was inaugurated in January 2009, the economy lost 791,000 jobs. By December 2016, the U.S. experienced 75 consecutive months of job growth, adding about 11 million jobs during that time.Wages have also grown. For example, in 2016, average hourly wages rose by $1.24, from $24.76 in January to a high of $26.00 in December. Thats the fruchtwein growth weve had since the height of the recession in 2009.Now, the bad news.While jobs and wages increased, labor-force participation dropped in December 2016 38% of workers identified as being able to work elected not to. That rate only improved by about.6% over the past eight years.While the historical perspective paints one of resounding economic recovery, when rea ding the jobs report, three troubling issues come to mind, including the reduction in labor-force participation. While many claim the past eight years have been the job growth era, has this really been the job growth era for working women? If wages have grown over the past eight years, why are we not making any improvements in pay inequality, especially as related to gender? American women are being paid $.80 to the $1.00 men are earning for performing the same work. There hasnt been any real movement on closing the pay gap since 2007. Can the drop in labor-force participation be linked to the troubling disdain American industry has for American families, as proven by inflexible workplace policies as well as the growing expense of childcare? While half of these non-participants can be linked to retiring baby boomers, the other half are in the 2555 age group, many of whom may very likely be parents. The American workforce lacks the technical skills necessary to fill the demands of Am erican industry. Simply put we dont have the right people with the right education or proficiencies to fill the right jobs. A recent ADP study found that 80% of employers believe their top challenges stem from a shortage of skilled labor. Or??perhaps companies are not recruiting efficiently, or havent set proper policies to attract diverse talent?At PowerToFly, the fastest growing platform to connect skilled women with companies that value their employees both in and out of the office, we deal with these issues everyday. Thats why we only work with organizations that share our pledge and work in tandem with us to make the situation better for working women across the U.S.Lets make tomorrow better. Together, we can change the world. One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in ge nder diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the wertzuwachs of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd d emand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for wo rkers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.