FAST FACT: BLS Shines Light on Women’s Employment Situation
February 5, 2010 posted by Kyla Bender-Baird
Calling all data geeks! The Bureau of Labor Statistics has made some really exciting changes to its monthly employment situation releases. We now have greater insight into women’s employment situation thanks to greater gender disaggregation of employment data. BLS has also added stats for persons with a disability, veterans, and foreign born workers.
Last month, I could only tell you women’s unemployment rate and break that down by race. This month, I have SO much more to report. For instance,
- Women with a disability have a higher unemployment rate than women with no disability: 14.3% compared to 8.4%.
- Foreign born women have an unemployment rate of 10.6% compared to 8.2% for native born women.
- Single women with children have an unemployment rate of 12.3% compared to 5.8% for married women.
- Women veterans experience higher unemployment rates than veteran men. In January 2010, the unemployment rate for women veterans was 11.2% compared to 9.4% for veteran men. Furthermore, the unemployment rate for women veterans has risen faster in the past year. From January 2009 to January 2010, veteran men’s unemployment rose from 7.5% to 9.4% while women veteran’s rate rose from 6.6% to 11.2%.
- Women are slightly more likely to hold multiple jobs than men. 5.4% of employed women hold multiple jobs compared to 4.5% of employed men.
As a believer that research is key to social change, these changes excite me to no end! If we have a greater understanding of where women stand, we can craft solutions that truly make a difference. Without good research, we are operating in the dark.
You forgot to mention non-disabled men have both higher unemployment rates than non-disabled women and disabled men have a higher unemployment rate than disabled women. Why didn’t you just say disabled people have higher unemployment rates than non-disabled people?
Second, foreign born men have a high unemployment rate than native born men. And again foreign born men have a high unemployment rate than foreign born women. Why didn’t you just say foreign born people have higher unemployment rates than native born people?
Third, this census completely misses single men with children. No comment about that disparity?
Frankly, I’m already tired of repeating everything you’re missing with this posting. I thought this blog was about the Nation and Women. Don’t men make up this nation too? Where are your posts about the crisis of male unemployment in this nation?
It gets really tiresome to see men on websites set up to discuss / disseminate information about women screaming “where are the men”. What part of “Research on Women” or “Women’s Employment Situation” don’t you understand, Bill Diamond?
Thank you for pointing that out, Georgia. THIS. IS. NOT. ABOUT. MEN.
Okay this is one step in the right direction, but what about transgender people? How about those of us who don’t fit the male or female boxes? Or don’t lead lives in society that match our legal sex? I’d like to see some real statistics about transgender people and employment.
I agree with Warren. We do need to start recognizing the trans community in these types of studies. However, this study is to focus on women. I usually never read comments sections on these types of articles due to massive amounts of fem-hate and mansplaining(ie: Bill) but I just wanted to point out the sad fact: if you are not a straight white male, you are under-represented in this country. We’re supposed to be in a “post-feminist” era yet this type of information is just NOW relayed to us? Sad, sad.
Thank you, everyone, for your comments! Warren and Sadie, we couldn’t agree more that the lack of data on trans communities (as well as LGB folk) is disturbing. BLS data is government collected data. And unfortunately, the government has yet to include gender identity categories outside the gender binary in their data collection instruments. Have you seen the innovative campaign launched by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, “Queer the Census”? We highly recommend you check it out: http://www.queerthecensus.org/site/c.jeJLIVOxEnH/b.5474287/k.9C4D/Queer_the_Census.htm