Women Rule - Women Overtake Men as Dominant Gender in US Labor Force

Women now hold more jobs in the US than men for the first time in history. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) this Fall the number of women in the labor force surpassed men. Women held only 30 percent of jobs in 1960 and have steadily increased, as a percentage of the total workforce, decade after decade to the present time. The recession has caused major employment reductions in many fields once ruled by men, like construction, manufacturing, finance, and information technology. Whereas, fields like education, healthcare, and government have been adding workers and women increasingly dominate these fields. In local governments this is especially pronounced. BLS data indicates 167,000 women were added to their ranks during this latest recessionary period while 86,000 men were given walking papers - contributing to the gender shift to a work force of over 50 percent female.

Now for the bad news. Women who worked full time earned only 80 percent of what their male counterparts earned, and 77 percent when part-time positions are also factored in. Part of this disparity is because men still control the ranks and higher pay of executive level positions. But nonetheless, there still exists a disturbing gender pay disparity. Women now earn a majority of associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees but experts believe it still may be decades before gender equality in pay is achieved.

Middle-aged men seem to be paying the highest price for their long time favored status, as the so called breadwinners, which they have enjoyed over women and minorities. In fact, men aged from 35 to 54 are almost twice as likely to lose jobs in a permanent layoff as in previous recessions. The pay scale bias that these men have enjoyed is now working against them when companies bent on cost cutting eliminate these higher paid jobs.

The BLS forecasts that males will again be the majority gender of the labor force when jobs are added as the recession subsides. They may not come back in manufacturing and construction in numbers great enough to absorb the recent losses, but jobs will be created in other industries such as network systems, data communications, computer software, home care aids, and others.

It is a historic time for women in the work force, after an epoch journey - and what must follow is gender pay equality. It must become a national priority.

The New and Perplexing Paradigm In The American Job Market

There are countless articles in the media today which suggest the only people being hired, in this tough job market, are those with the “exact” set of skills the organization is looking for. Recruiters only want to see resumes that perfectly match the specific job requirements. Companies use software to scan resumes for the keywords that perfectly match the position to be filled. Interviews are only scheduled with candidates with recent, highly relevant experience.

Conversely, we read that workers with skill sets, which are too specific, are being cut as many companies continue to downsize. This makes some sense. If you have fewer workers or managers to do the job, they are going to have to take on expanded roles – not only completing their previous assigned responsibilities but perhaps manage unrelated departments or jobs as well. But wouldn’t it also make sense for lean companies just starting to expand their workforces out of the depths of recession to hire well-rounded individuals who have the capability to do a specific job but also the wherewithal to assist in other areas?

That’s the dilemma for job seekers today. Do I pigeonhole myself into a position vis-à-vis my resume and the interviews and get pitted against others with those exact skills? Or go I let my broader experience shine through and risk being labeled with less than the concentrated practice they are searching for?

The experts say that college graduates should keep a broad based focus since the changing job market requires flexibility. Workers who already have gained practical experience in a field may be encouraged to add an MBA to their repertoire, to enhance their value to a company, therefore, their survivability.

The reality is that smart, progressive companies – the ones we all aspire to work for – are going to opt for the person with more than just the expertise to perform the job at hand. You probably want to pass on the opportunity if the company is so compartmentalized that they don’t want you to think out of the box. The balancing act is to get through the screening of your resume and the gauntlet of preliminary interviews by “playing the game” with your “exact fit” for the job. Once you have an audience with senior management you can showcase your well-honed transferable skills – as well as the ability to do the posted job. It will require nimbleness, but that’s what today’s job market is about. If the key decision-maker doesn’t feel confident of the additional value you will bring to the organization, you will not get the position. But you now have a margin of control over your own destiny at this point.

Recognize the Warning Signs - Your Job May Be in Danger

With all of the job loss reports splashed across newspapers and Yahoo!, one would think that workers would do a better job at recognizing the warning signs of pending job cuts. Yet most are not recognized or ignored all together. The national unemployment rate just hit a 26 year high of 9.5 percent. Just waiting for the ax to fall is probably the stupidest thing you can do. In this tight job market, you should not only be constantly on the hunt for your next job, but the one after that as well. If you are a part of a large reduction in staff, you will be forced to compete against all of the others in the same predicament! Be a step ahead of your co-workers when cutbacks occur by getting your resume out and starting your search at the first signs of trouble in your company.

What are the red-flags of pending layoffs? They are presently all around us. Consumer spending and confidence are down. The US economy has contracted for yet another quarter. Your state and local economies are most likely in the dumpster. Stimulus Package - or not - jobs aren't going to rebound anytime soon. What about your own company? Are you bringing in new business? Do you work for a profit center or a cost center? Is there a chance you'll be replaced by an automated system? Does your boss tell you your skills are essential to the company and adding to your responsibilities - or are projects taken away?

In your own company always accept the opportunity to serve on committees, Six Sigma, re-engineering task forces, planning teams, or any other group selected by management or co-workers. This can provide valuable recognition of your contributions to the organization. It can also give you tremendous insight into what's going on in the company -- on subjects like new product lines, new company directions, rightsizing, plant closings, process changes, etc. which could very likely affect your job. Whenever additional training or educational seminars are offered be the first to volunteer. It will put you a step ahead of others who choose to sit on the sidelines.

Red-flags - or not - you should always have an updated resume fine-tuned with all of your skills. That is what prospective employers want to see - not just time on a job. One of the best pieces of advice I have read recently is to develop your network of friends, colleagues, associates, etc. before you ever need one. You must nurture your network, both online social networks and career specific, so it will be in place when it is needed. Plan ahead and determine what you want to be doing in 3 to 5 years. What is your dream job? What do you have to do now from career change and educational perspectives to progress toward that ultimate job you desire? Then it's up to you and only you to take action.