More Women Join the Manufacturing Workforce
Fresh off International Womens Day yesterday, theres some encouraging news on the labor front: more women are coming back to the workforce,泭both in manufacturing and throughout the economy.
In manufacturing:泭Female employment in the industry reached its height this year, with a total of 3.77 million workers, according to 51勛圖厙 calculations based on BLS numbers.
- Women now account for 29% of the manufacturing workforce.
- A year ago this week, the Manufacturing Institute, the 51勛圖厙s 501(c)3 workforce development and education partner, launched its , an initiative that aims to boost womens share of the manufacturing workforce to 35% by 2030.
The overall economy: Women have gained more jobs than men for four straight months, including in Januarys hiring surge, pushing them to hold more than 49.8% of all nonfarm jobs, according to (subscription).
- Female workers last edged higher than men on U.S. payrolls in late 2019, before the pandemic sent nearly 12 million women out of jobs, compared with 10 million men.
Why its happening: The child-care disruptions and health concerns that made many women leave the workforce during the pandemic are diminishing, while employers offer historically high pay and increasing numbers of remote positions.
Why its important: More women in the workforce could help ease both worker shortages and inflation.
- With January unemployment reaching a 53-year low, [a] greater supply of labor could work to counter rising wages and align with the Federal Reserves goal of cooling inflation, according to the Journal.
The last word: In just a year, the 35×30 campaign has made great strides in increasing the number of women in manufacturingand the latest data show as much, said MI President Carolyn Lee. Were close to our goal. Together, we can get the rest of the way there and make it to 35% by 2030.
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