Women in the Workforce

Sunday, July 15, 2018

There are 74.6 million people in the civilian labor force, and that number is growing at a steady clip.

Statistics recently released by the United States Department of Labor show women make up 47 percent of the U.S. workforce. And listen to this: 70 percent of mothers with children under 18 participate in the labor force. In addition, mothers are the primary or sole earners for 40 percent of households with children under 18 today — compared with just 11 percent in 1960. Women are more likely than men to have earned a bachelor’s degree by age 29, and they dominate a variety of occupations, including speech-language pathologists, human resource managers and education administrators.

The Cape Chamber certainly recognizes the importance of women in our workforce. In 2016, they launched their Women’s Network. This initiative focuses on strengthening the community by providing women with an environment for mentoring, professional development and leadership growth opportunities.

Over the past two years, this group has listened to presentations from women in state leadership roles and participated in several networking events. In addition, workshops have been offered on relevant topics, including healthy living, serving on boards and being a poised, polished professional.

In order to have the workforce necessary for the 21st century, all participants need the opportunity to be educated, trained and ready to contribute, and the Cape Chamber wants to make sure they’re doing their part.

If you are a Cape Chamber member and interested in the Women’s Network, contact Kim Voelker at kvoelker@capechamber.com.