Women have a leg up on men during this economic downturn, said Philip Delves Broughton in the London Evening Standard. Although women make up 50 percent of the U.S. workforce, they’ve accounted for only 20 percent of layoffs this year. One explanation is that hard-hit sectors, such as construction, manufacturing, and finance, are dominated by men. Ironically, the fact that women have long been “shamefully underpaid” compared with men may now turn out to be preserving their jobs. “When the cost-cutters go over the compensation figures, women look like a bargain.”
There’s more to the phenomenon than that, said Anne Fisher in Fortune. “In this job market, standing out from the crowd requires a ‘personal brand’—a clear professional identity that highlights a candidate’s unique set of strengths and skill—and that’s one area where women may excel.” Women’s management styles also tend to be more collaborative, according to Catherine Kaputa, author of The Female Brand: Using the Female Mindset to Succeed in Business. This talent for teamwork has not only helped spare women from layoffs, she argues. It should also prove useful when it comes to holding things together during tough economic times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
5 blustery cartoons about the Stormy Daniels testimonyCartoons Artists take on gag orders, lurid details, and more
-
The Idea of You review: 'impossible escapism' starring Anne HathawayThe Week Recommends Steamy romcom about a 40-year-old who falls for a boy band singer
-
Crossword: May 11, 2024The Week's daily crossword
