Society has yet to adjust to women in workforce, economist says

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_4670

By Mark Gruenberg
2 November 2010

WASHINGTON - American society has yet to adjust to the “profound change” of having women in its workforce, an economist who studies the issue says.

Heather Boushey of the Center for American Progress, and author of “A Women’s Nation Changes Everything,” says that change not only means most women work but that another key job – raising a family – is often left incomplete.

And when women, or men, try to take time out from employment to raise families, they’re penalized – women more so than men.

Boushey spoke at a time when women make up between 47% and 49% of the labor force, depending on which federal data are used, and when women’s wages are still only 78 cents for every dollar a man with the same qualifications and same or equivalent positions earns.

“And for the single-parent family, usually headed by a woman, that gap has been widening for some time,” Boushey warned.

The income gap narrowed a little in 2007-08 as men lost jobs in droves during the Great Recession, while far fewer women were put out of work. But it may widen again, she warned, as state and local governments cut budgets. Those cuts will disproportionately hit social services, which aid women and families and which disproportionately employ female state and local government workers and teachers.

FULL story at link.

[county worker]

1. 78 cents for every dollar a man with the same qualifications and same or equivalent positions earns

I won't say that the above statement is not true but were I work it is not true. I wish there were concrete examples given somewhere of places were men and women with the equivalent positions and equivalent qualifications are paid different.

I do want women to be paid the same as men because my wife works and what is good for her is good for me too. I just don't know of any place were the above claim can be made.

[left coaster]

2. I'm not trying to put you on the defensive, but..

You posted that you don't know of any place were the above claim can be made.. are you basing your comment on any other information other than what you think happens at your place of employment?

[county worker]

3. No, I have worked may places since 1958 when I got my first job.

Here is what I am saying. That claim is made and generally agreed to but I am at a loss as to where that is taking place.

Is it at CISCO or GM or where?

[bettyellen]

4. there is pleanty of data out there that's a lot more meaninful than your own isolted anecdote, and

it's been studies and out there for the last thirty years. and yes they compare apples to apples. we've gained I believe appx only 4-5% .in all that time.
the only studeis showing women catching up at all is when they don;t compare apples to apples- women are, on average, getting much better educations than they used to, so as a group they are accelerating- but only because they are working harder out on it. i have worked the same job or been bosses over men who made 30-50% more than I did. It;s not uncommon at al in my 25+ years of experience. Bosses have told me only to look at women when hiring because they knew they could pay them less. It sucks.