Statistics About Women and Employment

While there has been a progress in women’s rights for the past years, there are still many women who have limited economic and employment opportunities as chauvinism still persists in the US society.

According to Equal Rights Advocates, a group that fights for gender equality, women are still facing unfair practices in schools and workplaces, especially those who belong in ethnic minority, low-income household, and migrant group.

Statistics on Women as Workforce

• Three out of four women of childbearing age are currently employed.
• Forty-eight percent of workforce are women.
• The age of children will determine the likelihood for a woman to work: 70 percent of mothers with children under 18 years old are employed; 62 percent of mothers with children under 6 years old go to work; and 58 percent of mothers with children under the age of 2 years old are employed.
• More than 40 percent of women are the breadwinner of their families. (They are divorced, single, separated, or widowed.)
• Around 18 percent of families in the US are headed by a woman. Majority of them are Caucasians, followed by African Americans, and then Hispanics.
• Working women’s families have the lowest household income of all family types. This is attributed to the fact that almost 60 percent of them are making less than $8 per hour.
• Only 53 percent of employers provide replacement pay for female workers who will file for maternity leave, a period when they most need a paycheck for their hospital bills and other expenses.
• Forty-three percent of women working for part-time jobs and those who are aged 55 and older do not have health care insurance.
• Two-thirds of part-time workers are women.
• Women who are intelligent, assertive, talented, ambitious, and have strong personalities are the most common targets of sexual harassment. According to a study conducted in 2007, men do not harass women based on sexual desire, but as a way to punish them for not conforming to gender stereotype.
• Thirty-five percent of female workers said they have been subjected to sexual harassment in their workplace at some point in their lives. According to lawyers, such women’s legal issues in a workplace should be addressed by employers to avoid claims and lawsuits.

Any woman who feels as though she is being treated unfairly, under-compensated or otherwise discriminated against has the right to file a complaint and pursue legal remedies. Consult with a trusted employment lawyer if you are unable to get help from your HR department or local employment board.

• The content of this page is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need help with an employment law question, please click here to talk to Rodney Mesriani or an employment lawyer near you.