At its most basic level, the women’s rights movement has fought for women to have the freedom and opportunities they need to fulfill their potential. While our grandmothers and mothers may have been harassed in the workplace or discouraged from pursuing certain professions, the reality for today’s women is much different. Of course, inequality still exists, particularly in fields like software engineering. However, women are now making up a majority of the workforce in many of the fastest-growing industries—like home healthcare and office administration. How did this happen and what does it mean for the future of the American workforce?
There Are Some Jobs Women Don’t Really Do
For that matter, there are some jobs men don’t really do. I realize that these are inflammatory statements, but before you drop a dime to the PC police, let me ask you a question: how many male preschool teachers do you know? Likewise, when was the last time you called the plumber and a woman arrived at your door? That’s because fewer than 2% of all preschool teachers are male; fewer than 2% of all plumbers are female. The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t lie. And just because something is true doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong. It just is.
Of course, there are many complex reasons for why this is the case. Sometimes underrepresentation of one sex in a particular profession is the result of current or historical bias. But sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes men and women choose different fields for different reasons. Whatever those reasons, it is helpful to know the gender makeup of the current workforce. These numbers break down the percentage of women employees in each industry (Courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics).
| Industry | Women Employees (in thousands—Feb. 2018) | Percent of All Employees (Feb. 2018) |
| Goods-producing | 4,508 | 22.0 |
| Mining and logging | 93 | 13.0 |
| Construction | 920 | 12.8 |
| Manufacturing | 3,495 | 27.7 |
| Durable goods | 1,848 | 23.5 |
| Nondurable goods | 1,647 | 34.8 |
| Private service-providing | 56,070 | 53.2 |
| Trade, transportation and utilities | 11,124 | 40.2 |
| Retail trade | 7,943.3 | 49.9 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,289.1 | 24.5 |
| Utilities | 127.4 | 23.0 |
| Information | 1,084 | 39.4 |
| Financial Activities | 4,812 | 56.3 |
| Professional and business services | 9,387 | 45.2 |
| Education and health services | 18,039 | 76.9 |
| Leisure and hospitality | 8,524 | 52.4 |
| Other services | 3,100 | 53.1 |
| Government | 12,874 | 57.6 |
Many of the Fastest-Growing Industries Are Dominated by Women
A quick look at these figures doesn’t necessarily paint a portrait of a gender revolution; many fields—like producing and manufacturing—are still very clearly dominated by men. Likewise, many others are fairly split down the middle. But which industries are growing the fastest? Aye, there’s the rub.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are some of the fastest-growing areas:
- Home health care services
- Individual and family services
- Support activities for mining
- Office administrative services
- Warehousing and storage
- Computer systems design and related services
- Software publishers
- Offices of dentists
- Oil and gas extraction
- Educational services
- Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions
You may notice that many of these fast-growing fields have a majority of women employees. By the same token, industries that have been historically dominated by men—like industrial and chemical manufacturing, iron and steel mills, foundries and logging—are all predicted to continue their decline.
What Does this Mean for the Future of America’s Workforce?
One of the most contentious stereotypes about men and women is that women are good with people; men are good with things. Regardless of whether that is true, many of the fastest-growing sectors in today’s economy require being good with people. America’s decades-long shift from a manufacturing economy to a service economy may be one explanation for women’s enhanced influence in today’s workplace.
While this is certainly welcome news for women’s rights, the seismic social and economic implications of it can’t be denied. And I think women will agree with me that, “Neener, neener, neener ;p” is not a helpful response. An economy that does not allow half of its working population to exercise its skills—male or female—will hurt everyone.
With that said, both men and women are facing very real professional challenges. Manufacturing jobs provided generations of working-class American men with a decent living. Now manufacturing accounts for only about 8.5% of all American jobs. Similarly, women are still disproportionately represented in tech and engineering. The key to personal and collective success may be acknowledging these struggles while not being paralyzed by them—or blaming them on each other for them.
