Current Trends for Working Women

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Introduction

The labor market has undergone a significant change over the past few decades, including the adoption of technological innovations. These changes have restructured the initial setup of the labor market in most countries. The evolution of the workforce has also resulted in the emergence of new trends for working women. Women have proven more than enough times that they are ready to work, take up new challenges, and experience growth in their various professions. The new trends for women ensure women work under favorable conditions and that they can compete with their male counterparts on equal levels. This paper will discuss some trends for working women that have emerged in the labor market.

The number of females in STEM is rising at a very high rate. Women are beginning to show interest in the male-dominated complex and technical careers. They are breaking free from the self-limiting beliefs that bar them from venturing into technical careers. Economic factors have also played a vital role in the shift of career choices by women (Jiang, 2021). In the current world, the cost of living is higher than ever before. The taxes imposed on commodities have also skyrocketed. For this reason, individuals need a stable source of income to satisfy their basic and secondary needs. Most jobs in the STEM sector offer better pay, benefits, and performance bonuses compared to other sectors. This characteristic of STEM has compelled most women to test their limits and venture into this field. Women have abandoned the conventional career paths geared by socially conditioned gender-based work.

Most organizations are incorporating motherhood necessities to cater to working mothers. Companies acknowledge that women face the challenge of returning to work after maternity leave. The rigid system adopted by most companies makes it difficult for working mothers to balance their caregiving and professional time. Some organizations have open daycare facilities within the organizations to allow working mums to focus on their tasks in their workplaces. The development of daycare facilities allows working mums to devote all their time to their career paths (Karaalp-Orhan 2017). Consequently, they stabilize and settle quickly into their roles in their respective workplaces. Furthermore, employers have introduced paid maternity leave to facilitate financial stability for working women.

Organizations have established guidance and counseling departments to promote mental health for their workers in the current world. In most cases, employers target working moms in their organizations. Juggling professional work and motherhood can be overwhelming for working moms. It pressurizes them and affects their performance in their respective work fields. Most employers understand this aspect and do their best to prioritize the mental health of working mothers. Employers hire qualified therapists to attend to their employees whenever they feel pressured or destabilized (McKetta et al., 2021). The presence of a guidance and counseling department creates a safe space for employees especially working mothers, to express their emotions and free themselves from stress. Consequently, they achieve a healthy mental space that allows them to be more productive and improve their work performances. The overall performance of the organizations also improves over time.

Technological innovations have allowed most employees to work from home. Gadgets like phones, laptops, and computers have facilitated easy and remote completion of tasks and convenient communication between employers and employees (Faulds & Raju, 2021). Employees don’t have to show up to work physically. With features like zoom on these gadgets, employers and employees can hold meetings in the comfort of their houses. This aspect of technology has allowed working women, especially mothers, to handle their professional work, caregiving, and unpaid obligations easily.

Conclusion

The new trends in the market have proved advantageous to all working women. It promotes equality among employees by eliminating barriers that prevent working women from working under the same conditions as their male counterparts. The new trends for working women have enabled them to focus on their careers, yield the best results possible and become better. Organizations are hopeful that new trends will continue to emerge in the market that will make work easier and convenient for working women

References

Faulds, D. J., & Raju, P. S. (2021). The work-from-home trend: An interview with Brian Kropp. Business Horizons, 64(1), 29.

Jiang, X. (2021). Women in STEM: Ability, preference, and value. Labour Economics, 70, 101991.

Karaalp-Orhan, H. S. (2017). What are the trends in women’s labor force participation in Turkey? European Journal of Sustainable Development, 6(3), 303-303.

McKetta, S., Prins, S. J., Bates, L. M., Platt, J. M., & Keyes, K. M. (2021). US trends in binge drinking by gender, occupation, prestige, and work structure among adults in the midlife, 2006–2018. Annals of Epidemiology.