A Quiet Pink Pay Revolution Underfoot?

I find it interesting to observe trends - demographic, political, economic - and consider their impact on compensation.  (And yes, I probably do need to get a life.  But anyway...)

Business Week Online has an interesting article on this week: "The Slump: It's a Guy Thing".  The article opens with the following:

They eat from the same dishes and sleep in the same beds, but they seem to be operating in two different economies. From last November through this April, American women aged 20 and up gained nearly 300,000 jobs, according to the household survey of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). At the same time, American men lost nearly 700,000 jobs. You might even say American men are in recession, and American women are not.

What's going on? Simply put, men have the misfortune of being concentrated in the two sectors that are doing the worst: manufacturing and construction. Women are concentrated in sectors that are still growing, such as education and health care.

The difference may be attributable to more than just the different sectors that men and women are concentrated in.  Some analysts argue, according to the article, that women are better suited to knowledge economy jobs than men (where supposedly feminine traits like sensitivity, intuition and willingness to collaborate are highly valued).

The article also points out, and rightly so, that the news isn't necessarily all good for females.  Much of the job growth in the sectors where women are concentrated - like child care workers and home health aides - offer lower wages and few, if any, benefits.

But I think there is a ray of sunshine here.  In my experience, market pay rates are heavily influenced (some might say entirely influenced) by supply and demand.  As the knowledge economy expands, and - particularly - as our population ages, there will be more demand for the kinds of jobs traditionally held by women.  And we will likely find that the supply of labor is a finite one.  Just look at what has happened with the field of nursing.  As demand has outstripped supply, not only have wages risen but - interestingly - the perception of the profession as a "female" one is shifting.  I know several talented, college age young men who have chosen to pursue nursing as a major and a career.  The influx of men into the field will also positively impact pay levels - this is a fact of life.

Is this a long-awaited solution to the gender pay gap?  Not entirely, unfortunately, for that is a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon.  But I would submit that there is a quiet pink pay revolution underfoot that does promise some relief. 

Comments

[Sid Edwards]

Nice article from NurseWeek about men who have experienced discrimination in the field of nursing. Maybe you ought to warn the men you know who are pursuing a nursing degree that they might not be welcomed with open arms.

A few good men

Male nurses defy stereotypes and discrimination to find satisfaction in a female-dominated profession

By Lisette Hilton
May 14, 2001
Photo:Margie Paschke

About 6 percent of nurses today are male. But while the discriminatory practices against men nursing might be easing, male nurses continue to tell stories about unfair treatment.

http://www.nurseweek.com/news/features/01-05/men.html

And I really don't understand why you believe that more men in nursing will help the wages of nurses. On what basis do you make that claim?

[Ann Bares]

Sid:

Thanks for the comment, and for sharing the link and the story on men experiencing discrimination in the nursing field. I only know a couple of male nurses, and they have not mentioned this to me, but I can believe it exists. Seems as though we always make things tough for those in the minority. I'll bet it would be interesting to learn about that particular in more depth.

Why do I think more men in nursing will help the wages in that field. You're right to challenge me on that - I can't readily quote or provide any hard evidence as to why this would happen, but I'd be willing to put money on it. While I don't like to count myself among the more strident gender gap hand wringers, the research I've seen suggests that there are compensation differences between males and females that can't easily be accounted for. See an earlier post I did on this topic below -
http://compforce.typepad.com/compensation_force/2007/04/disturbing_news.html

I think there are deep behavioral and attitudinal forces at work that impact what men are paid versus women - in comparable roles. And I believe (but can't substantiate with evidence or necessarily prove) that these forces will act to raise the wages of a profession when the balance shifts away from all or mostly female to a more even mix.

It's just what I think. Others?

[Michael Haberman, SPHR]

It is possible that some of that job growth is coming from the fact that more women attend college today than to men. Here in Georgia there are only two universities or colleges that have higher male populations that female. I believe that most of the country reflects this as well. So if companies are looking for college grads in the future they will have to be selecting women.

[Ann Bares]

Michael:

Good point - and I have heard that this is indeed true on a national basis. Having just gone through the college application process with my daughter, I recall reading several articles that spoke of how young women are finding themselves at an increasing disadvantage in applying to selective colleges because there are more women than men applying, and colleges are trying hard to keep a relatively equal proportion of males/females on campus.

Thanks for the comment!

[Sid Edwards]

According to the Business Week article you cite, as quoted below, men are not flocking to nursing as you have claimed, and nursing doesn't require a 4-year college degree:

Men also shy away from some of the growing fields, such as nursing. Only about 10% of nursing students nationwide are male, notes Harriet R. Feldman, dean of the Pace University School of Nursing. Some retired nurses are actually going back to work because their husbands have lost jobs, says Lois Cooper, vice-president for employee relations and diversity at staffing firm Adecco Group North America in Melville, N.Y.

Also, I don't see a problem with women having a tough time getting into selective colleges, since they can go to the all-female schools, where many apparently blossom without males to compete with.

[Ann Bares]

Sid, Sid, Sid. A few thoughts back to you.

First of all, blogs - at least the one I host and the ones I frequent - are about constructive dialogue. It is possible to enter the conversation, disagree, and introduce an opposing viewpoint without all the hostility. Check a few of the comment streams in other posts and you'll see some great examples.

None of us are trying to "win". Most of us who take the trouble and time to host a forum on a particular topic are seeking to share ideas and generate discussion. My purpose with this post is to share some things that I have observed and read, and postulate on the kind of trend they might suggest is underfoot. Note the question mark at the end of my title, hmmm?

You obviously feel strongly about making a point and winning an argument - I can't even say that I know exactly what argument you are trying to win. Please take the anger and control issues somewhere else. Feel free to come back when you have something constructive to add to the conversation.

And, for the record, I believe that there are all-male schools out there as well.

[Career Encourager]

Interesting posting. I know of one couple where she is a doctor and he is a paramedic. He recently went back to school to become a nurse because - as he says - "The career growth opportunities are much better." I'm willing to believe him since he's got the "inside scoop."

Regarding why women may make more in nursing than men, perhaps it's because they are experiencing the very same cycle women have been experiencing for years...i.e., men are beginning to enter a field that is traditionally female. Because nursing is traditionally a female job and more women than men are nurses, it stands to reason that most nursing supervisors are women. In most healthcare institutions that I know of, the nursing superisors are the front line decisions makers on performance reviews and pay raises. And by that I don't mean to imply that female nursing supervisors are being vengeful and purposely compressing salaries. Likely they are simply being fair across the board. But because men are the minority, and have less seniority, the combination adds up to a total picture of less wages/wage growth that the women in the field. It's the same as when women began entering the construction trades - they made less overall because they had less seniority as a group than the men who had ruled the profession for years. Ahh but change is so hard on all of us, isn't it? Anyway - interesting topic to bring up!

[Ann Bares]

Peggy:

Interesting perspective and insights. And interesting how the tables can turn, eh? Change is indeed hard!

Thanks for sharing the comment!