9.3: Gender, Work and Wages in the U.S.
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Corporations are constantly trying to find new ways to cut the costs of their production—no matter the product being produced—and maximize their production and profits. One way to achieve this goal is to hire low-wage workers or replace them entirely! Think about it, why do we have salad bars, ATM machines, online bill pay, or self-check-out at the grocery store? With salad bars, we don’t need a server, and with ATMs and online bill pay we don’t need bankers, and with self-check-out at the grocery we don’t a checker.
One result of the idea of minimizing cost of production has been the income inequality between people with college degrees and high school education and people in professional and technical positions. We are able to economically justify why one’s labor power is worth more than others’. And with globalization allowing for more and more outsourcing of goods being produced outside of the United States, it has become increasing difficult for families to economically thrive. This has made it imperative for more and more women to become “productive workers.”
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau (2019) 57.4% of women participated in the labor force and 72.3% of women with kids under 18 are in the workforce. 272 Today, women make up nearly half of our workforce, and many women are the primary breadwinners for their families. In fact, for single, widowed or divorced moms, the rate was 77.6%. 273
In 2021 the 20 occupations with the highest median weekly earnings among women who were full-time wage and salary workers were: 274
Women’s notable progress over the years is reflected in their increased educational attainment, higher earnings, and a larger presence in leadership positions and entrepreneurial fields. So, our work is done, right? Not quite.
272
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). Employment characteristics of families.
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/famee.pdf
273
Ibid
274
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey.
https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm