Demographic shifts in the United States over the past 14 years have led to a significantly different workforce, according to a special report from CareerBuilder. Men are in a wider array of career fields; the number of occupations heavily represented by workers 55 and older has more than doubled; and in each of the 50 highest-paying jobs, white workers lost share of employment.
 |
The report, “The Changing Face of U.S. Jobs,” explores how an increasingly diverse population is affecting the composition of nearly 800 occupations by gender, age, and race/ethnicity. The analysis is based on data from Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI), CareerBuilder’s labor market analysis arm that pulls from more than 90 government and private sector resources.
Some of the key findings have been highlighted below.
Occupation Composition by Gender
- Women make up greater share of workforce. In 2014, 49% of jobs were held by women, compared to 48% in 2001. That amounts to 4.9 million more female workers since 2001 compared to just 2.2 million additional male workers.
- Men are performing a wider variety of work. Despite gains in overall workforce participation by women, men are gaining a share of employment in 72% of all occupations. Examples include gains in female-majority occupations like pharmacists, credit analysts, and physical therapists. Women gained a greater share of employment in just 21% of occupations, including male-majority occupations like labor relations specialists, landscape architects, and agricultural managers.
Are you plugged into the best sources for interviews and hires? Start on Wednesday, May 27, 2015, with a free interactive webcast from SilkRoad, Top Sources of Hire: A Look at the Definitive Report on Talent Acquisition Strategies. Learn More
- Occupational segregation contributes to pay gap. Jobs with a high concentration of male workers pay significantly more per hour, on average, than jobs with a high concentration of female workers ($25.49 median hourly earnings for men versus $20.85 median hourly earnings for women).
- Women are losing share of employment in high-paying jobs. Since 2001, women lost ground in 48 out of the 50 highest-paying jobs, including surgeons, chief executives, and software developers. They gained share among lawyers and political scientists.
- Job losses have come primarily in male-majority jobs. Among the occupations that lost 10,000 jobs or more since 2001, 76% were male-majority occupations. As jobs went away in these fields, male workers had to find work in a broader array of occupations.
- Occupations with largest gains are mostly female-majority. Among the occupations that gained 75,000 jobs or more, 69% were female-majority. The largest gains in the workforce for women occurred in a smaller number of sizable occupations.
- Women dominate college graduation numbers, but not in top-paying fields. While 5.6 million more women than men attained college degrees from 2004 to 2013, men continue to lead in programs that typically lead to higher-paying jobs, such as computer science (83% of 2013 grads), engineering (79%), law (54%), and postgraduate business (54%).
“We need to move beyond the simplistic, antiquated notions of pink-collar, blue-collar, and white-collar jobs and focus on bringing the best people, regardless of gender, into the roles required of a healthy economy,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer for CareerBuilder. “Men are contributing in a wider variety of occupations than at the turn of the century, and as women continue to make up a larger share of the workforce, we must ensure they have the same access and opportunity for success in all professions.”
Competition is fierce for talent—ensure you come out on top. Join us for a free interactive webcast, Top Sources of Hire: A Look at the Definitive Report on Talent Acquisition Strategies. Earn 1 hour in HRCI Recertification Credit. Register Now
Occupation Composition by Age
- The most dramatic demographic shift in workforce composition is age. The teenage workforce is 33% smaller than in 2001, while the age 55-and-older workforce grew 40%. Jobs for young professionals (aged 22 to 34) grew only 4%, while employment for workers aged 35 to 54 shrunk by 1%.
- Teens lost share of total employment in 75% of occupations. Opportunities in many staples of summertime or afterschool work are significantly harder to come by for teen workers: hosts/hostesses (32% of all jobs in 2014, down from 45% in 2001), food prep/serving (14%, down from 23%), ushers/ticket takers (12%, down from 23%).
- Millennials lost share of employment in high-paying occupations. Millennials are losing share of employment in 69% of all occupations (averaging $25.85/hour (hr)) and gaining share in 29% of occupations (averaging $19.82/hr), including many jobs previously held by teenage workers like cashiers, fast-food cooks, and dishwashers.
- The aging workforce is felt in virtually all occupations. Moreover, workers 55 and older make up 25% of the workforce in 210 occupations. There were only 86 such occupations in 2014.
“The implications of the aging workforce boil down to a simple question: As workers retire, will there be enough qualified candidates to fill the vacated jobs?” said Matt Ferguson, chief executive officer of CareerBuilder and coauthor of The Talent Equation. “When employment growth projections and replacement needs are taken into account, millions of high- and middle-skill occupations will be available in the next decade. This will require workforce planners and talent acquisition executives to evaluate succession plans and candidate supply chains. With the right labor market data in hand, however, it’s a manageable task.”
In tomorrow’s Advisor, more from the CareerBuilder special report, plus an introduction to the free webcast from SilkRoad, Top Sources of Hire: A Look at the Definitive Report on Talent Acquisition Strategies.