July 28 2015
The Future of Women in the Workforce: The New Breadwinner
According to Dr. Andy Hines, (pictured right) a futurist and professor at the University of Houston who heads up the country’s largest foresight program, several early signs indicate trends that could result in dramatic changes in the future of the workplace.
In fact, Hines points out that the year 2020 will mark the 100 year anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote in the U.S. Women have come a long way since the 20th century and progress doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Almost 40% of working wives in the US are now “breadwomen”—their household’s primary breadwinner, out-earning their husbands according to Pew data in 2013 which might mean its even higher now.
What’s more, women dominate the fastest-growing professions. In fact, nine of the 10 job categories that is expected to grow the most through 2020 will be dominated by women — such as education and healthcare.
Because Future in Focus is a strategic foresight and consulting firm that offers custom and subscription-based research to help companies see years — or even decades — into the future to make better long-term decisions today, Future In Focus magazine editor Hope Katz Gibbs was eager to interview Hines about his forecasts on this trend.
On this episode of Future in Focus, Gibbs asks Hines:
- What precipitated the trend of women as the new breadwinner?
- How can businesses prepare for what’s on the horizon?
- What are some of the drivers behind this movement?
- What are some of the fastest growing professions that women are dominating in?
- As women continue to gain economic and political clout, what are some of the legal/HR policies that we could see — including maternity leave?
- How are women changing the organizational culture of many companies?
- What is different about their leadership styles, and the roles women are taking on?
- What’s unique about Millennial women in the workplace?
- And last, but not least, how is all of this change impacting men?
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For even more information on the future of women in the workforce, click here for more at Future in Focus.
