The nature of work is changing rapidly and dramatically. Advances in technology are eliminating some jobs, transforming others, and, in some cases, creating jobs we never even imagined. In WorkingNation’s weekly podcast Work in Progress, we speak with leaders in business, education, government, and nonprofits about what’s being done to train and reskill American men and women to ensure they can compete for, and qualify for, good-paying, in-demand jobs today and in the future. Work in Progress is hosted and executive produced by WorkingNation Editor-in-Chief Ramona Schindelheim. Produced by Larry Buhl.
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The nature of work is changing rapidly and dramatically. Advances in technology are eliminating some jobs, transforming others, and, in some cases, creating jobs we never even imagined. In WorkingNation’s weekly podcast Work in Progress, we speak with leaders in business, education, government, and nonprofits about what’s being done to train and reskill American men and women to ensure they can compete for, and qualify for, good-paying, in-demand jobs today and in the future. Work in Progress is hosted and executive produced by WorkingNation Editor-in-Chief Ramona Schindelheim. Produced by Larry Buhl.
Women in the workforce are making strides, but there is still work to do
Work In Progress
23 minutes 52 seconds
10 months ago
Women in the workforce are making strides, but there is still work to do
In this episode of the Work in Progress podcast, Wendy Chun-Hoon, director of the Women's Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor, joins me to discuss the progress the century-old bureau has made when it comes to creating equality, fairness, and safety for women in the workforce.
While more women than ever before are working, many still face lower wages than their male counterparts, sexual harassment, and lack of support around childcare and family care. Chun-Hoon describes herself as a longtime advocate for women in the workforce. She says she feels the Bureau has made many strides, but there is still much work to be done.
There are more than 79 million women in the workforce, but in some fields they're still underrepresented in in-demand fields that pay well and overrepresented in jobs that pay less.
Here's one example: the demand for both home health care workers and software developments are both growing. Women make up just 18.6% of all software developer jobs which have a median annual salary of $132,270. In contrast, nearly 88% of home health care workers are women. Those jobs have a median annual salary of $33,530. Chun-Hoon shares what the current administration and past administrations to address that imbalance.
We also discuss the critical issue of childcare for working women and government-wide efforts to ensure women have the support they need for caring for their children so they can remain a part of the workforce or join the workforce. Also in the podcast, we talk about the creation of the Gender Policy Council which not only addresses the wage and childcare issues, but also addresses gender-based violence for women in the workforce.
In summing up her time in office, which ends January 20, Chun-Hoon tells me, "I've seen breakthroughs that I wasn't expecting. I've seen some disappointments. I know that the Women's Bureau is also going to keep up that fight to really serve its enduring mission and the legacy that the Women's Bureau is, which is to represent the needs of working women."
You can listen to the entire conversation here, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find our podcasts on the Work in Progress YouTube channel.
Episode 347: Wendy Chun-Hoon, director, Women's Bureau, U.S. Department of LaborHost & Executive Producer: Ramona Schindelheim, Editor-in-Chief, WorkingNationProducer: Larry BuhlTheme Music: Composed by Lee Rosevere and licensed under CC by 4Transcript: Download the transcript for this episode hereWork in Progress Podcast: Catch up on previous episodes here
Work In Progress
The nature of work is changing rapidly and dramatically. Advances in technology are eliminating some jobs, transforming others, and, in some cases, creating jobs we never even imagined. In WorkingNation’s weekly podcast Work in Progress, we speak with leaders in business, education, government, and nonprofits about what’s being done to train and reskill American men and women to ensure they can compete for, and qualify for, good-paying, in-demand jobs today and in the future. Work in Progress is hosted and executive produced by WorkingNation Editor-in-Chief Ramona Schindelheim. Produced by Larry Buhl.
