There are many theories that attempt to explain persistent inequalities in the labor market. Many focus on barriers such as race and gender, but language, ethnicity and other factors can also play a role.
How the federal government addresses issues of equality and diversity within its own ranks sends powerful signals across society. The federal government’s hiring practices in particular can serve as key indicators of progress.
The Great Recession officially ended in June 2009, yet the U.S. unemployment rate has remained persistently high. The long-term unemployed — individuals out of work for 27 weeks or more — risk losing professional skills and network connections, and may encounter discrimination from employers reluctant to hire applicants not currently working.
According to a 2010 report on Fortune 500 companies, women represented only 2% of CEOs, 14% of top executives and 16% of corporate directors. Some two-thirds of such companies had at least one woman in their executive ranks, however.
In recent decades, some American corporations have promoted team work and encouraged looser job roles. By 2002, up to 80% of medium- to large-sized workplaces had put in place cross-boundary structures that increased collaboration across work functions. These programs have often given non-managerial women and minorities the opportunity to interact with a wider range of workers, managers, and jobs across their organizations.
A 2012 report by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Women in the Labor Force: A Databook,” presents comprehensive historical and contemporary statistics on women’s participation in the labor force between 1970 and 2010, including employment, salaries and more.
