By Kim Way
Michigan Works! Association Chief Experience Officer
March is National Women’s History Month which is a time to celebrate women’s contributions to history, culture and society. The influence that women have had in shaping the modern world and the world of workforce is vast, and I am honored to be able to stand on the shoulders of those women who have forged paths before me. Women’s history is everyone’s history, and women continue to make space for themselves while facing unique challenges as the development of the workforce system in the United States continues.
Progress for women in the workforce has seen large leaps, some slow but steady undercurrents, and many challenges that border on setbacks. The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the challenges that has specifically impacted working women, for a myriad of reasons, including that the burden of schoolwork and childcare continues to be treated as a women’s issue instead of a workforce issue. We have also seen prevailing trends continue, with women of color being more likely to have been laid off or furloughed during the COVID-19 crisis, stalling their careers, and jeopardizing their financial security and the security of their families. Over 200,000 women have left the workforce in Michigan over the course of the pandemic. According to a report by the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives entitled “Women in the Workforce,” only 57 percent of women in the state work full-time, year-round compared to 71 percent of men. About 80,000 of those women who left the workforce during the pandemic are still not back to work, leaving a large hole of impact and influence that Michigan women used to fill.
Personally, I have felt the strain of being a woman in a professional setting and have encountered challenges that I know are not isolated incidents. Most notably, while six months pregnant with my second child, my workplace accepted a change of primary contractor. Although I had been with the company for six years, and the new company retained me in my position, I was not eligible for FMLA (they stated I hadn’t been with their company long enough to qualify) and I was not eligible for leave time (I gave birth before I was with that contractor for 90 days). I gave birth to my son on a Tuesday and was let go from my position on a Friday. The entire experience took a toll on my self-worth, my ability to provide for my family, my pride, and my faith in the loyalty of employers to their employees. I felt like the time and effort I had given to them was for nothing, and that I was abandoned when at my most vulnerable. I was very fortunate to find a new position when my son was three months old, but the experience highlighted one of the many ways that womanhood and motherhood is seen as an obstacle, instead of a strength, within an organization. I wish that this sort of experience was an isolated one, but it isn’t, women are denied opportunities every day because of the nature of their roles within the community.
The report mentioned above highlights some of those other challenges and obstacles that women in the workforce face every day. For example, women in Michigan working full-time, in 2019 made about 78 cents on the dollar compared to men; women are more likely to work multiple jobs than their male counterparts; and that women in the workforce tend to be more heavily concentrated in service-based industry sectors. The healthcare and social assistance and educational services sectors are overwhelmingly female, with women representing almost 80 percent of total jobs and 70 percent, respectively. The industry sector with the smallest degree of female representation is construction. Although much progress has been made for working women, they have yet to occupy spaces in trades like the construction industry, which continue to be heavily male-dominated. Recruitment of women into STEM industries has been a growing area of focus for many organizations, as they realize the potential of women’s contribution to the field. But progress is still sluggish at best.
Noticing this lack of progress, March 6-12 has been designated as Women in Construction Week. The focus of this celebration is to highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry. Though more women are joining the construction industry than ever before, they still make up a very small portion of the workforce. Of the over 179,000 jobs in the Michigan construction sector in 2020, 14 percent were held by women, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Additionally, Michigan women accounted for 2,150 out of 19,730 active registered apprenticeships in 2019, representing just under 11 percent of the total.
There are concrete steps to be taken to continue to influence the future of the construction industry and to broaden the opportunities for women in those industries. Some of these efforts include increasing recruitment and improving inclusive retention policies, acknowledging and removing gender biased policies and work cultures, developing training programs and local mentorship groups to meet the needs of women, including more women in the hiring process, and encouraging women to become role models for other women. Schools and educational programs also need to highlight the value of construction jobs for women and young girls so they can see the industry as a viable career path. With more and more groundbreaking women chipping away at gendered norms and leveling the playing field, the industry is taking bigger steps at becoming a more diverse and inclusive space for future generations.
Michigan Works! is proud to recognize the history of women in the workforce, while also acknowledging the work that remains to be done. As our state continues to recover from the pandemic, Michigan Works! is here to assist job seekers in making career changes, connecting them to training opportunities and assisting them in overcoming barriers. Michigan Works! is in a unique position to understand the challenges of the workforce intimately, and we cannot wait to step into the future of Michigan’s workforce together.