Job Segregation By Gender
Do Men’s Jobs Pay More?
In my blog posting Are Jobs Stereotyped? —Women Are Secretaries And Men Are CEO’s? I talked about the types of roles where we often find women. I would expect that a female college graduate would aspire to upper management just as much as a man. Why do we still see 84% of upper management positions in the Fortune 500 held by men?
Now, the question I want to pose today is why are there certain fields that appear to be off limits to women? Why is it the trades (electricians, plumbers, painters, etc.) are only 2% female? Women would love those wages—particularly the union wages. Don’t tell me it’s because women don’t do dirty work—nurses’ aids are predominantly female, and that’s not clean work. And why don’t we see more female firemen? There are plenty of medical tasks, people tasks, and logistics to handle besides heavy lifting. I know women could handle these superbly. Doesn’t this question deserve more attention? It’s a big part of the gender wage gap. These male fields pay more than the traditionally female fields.
Do you know what happens when a primarily male field starts tipping with a significant number of women? The wages begin to decrease. A topic of conversation among male sociologists is that the field is taking on more women and they worry the work will pay less and be less respected. Whew!
There’s a Good News flip side here: When a female field starts taking on men, the wages begin to increase and the tasks you’re asked to do improve. For instance, as we see more men go into the nursing field, we see fewer nurses asked to do nurses’ aid duties. You know what you need to do if you’re in one of these fields: Invite men to join you! And then there’s a Bad News flip side too: Men in female fields, such as teaching, enjoy riding that fast glass escalator to management positions.
Tip:
Women, I know you’re being offered less money, but don’t hesitate to negotiate, and don’t accept the first offer! In fact, I tell women they have to restate their negotiation amount 3 times to let the employer know you’re serious. Do your research ahead of time. Ask men what they think the position should pay.
Further Reading:
Podcast, Working In Heels, Women Still Make Less Money: Here’s How To Make Sure It Doesn’t Happen To You! —Make As Much As A Man
Blog, Women’s Lunch Talk, Gender Pay Gap:
80 Cents For Each Dollar A Man Makes Is Not OK!
Here’s How To Make Sure It Doesn’t Happen To You!
Website, WomensMedia, by Hilary M. Lips, The Gender Wage Gap: Debunking the Rationalizations
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