One of my close friends here has been doing a job search since May. At one point, while we were on the phone, she started to cry, asking “I can’t even get companies to acknowledge my resume, much less interview me – what’s WRONG with me?”
\nWell, last week, she found out.<\/p>
One of my close friends here has been doing a job search since May. At one point, while we were on the phone, she started to cry, asking “I can’t even get companies to acknowledge my resume, much less interview … Continue reading
\nThis was one of those six degrees of separation things, she happened to meet someone, let’s call him “Joe”, who became known to her through a mutual friend of ours.
\nTurns out, “Joe” has been applying for the same jobs as my friend. Unlike my friend, though, he’s received several interviews and even an offer – he’ll be starting his new job next week.
\nTreading lightly here on the edge of libel, let’s just say that in a sane world, my friend would definitely be a better candidate for any of these jobs.
\n“Joe” just moved to the Cape, and from what I’ve heard even before learning of his job offer, has a speckled and peculiar background.
\nMy friend, on the other hand, is mature, she’s lived here for 27 years, has a steady work history with local companies, and she’s the head of a family – in other words, stable. Remember the days when that counted for something?
\nBesides, she’s bright, charming and has excellent references and work skills relevant to the jobs to which she’s applied – sales, customer service, computer knowledge, etc.
\nWhat she isn’t is male.
\nLest one think there’s a conclusion being jumped to here, there’s an August 2005 paper<\/a> by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (a self-described “Nonprofit, nonpartisan research center that seeks to promote democratic debate on important economic and social issues”) that puts some hard numbers on the “Declining Employment Rates for Women in the 21st Century”.
\nThe title of the paper, “Gender Bias in the Current Economic Recovery?” poses the question exactly right.
\nNot that this “economic recovery” has been much of a picnic for anyone: in the 4 years since the last recession, job creation has been worse than in the previous 3 recoveries.
\nIn other words, judging by the past, the employment to population ratio should have reached pre-recession levels by now. Instead, it’s still down, by 1.9%.
\nAdd 1.9% to the sanguine unemployment statistics you read about, and that’ll give you a better handle on the number of people out of work in the US. Reason is, the “official” numbers fail to take account of those who have dropped out of the job market altogether.
\nAccording to the Center, the sectors with the worst job creation record since the 2001 recession are manufacturing, temporary help – and “information”, i.e., tech.
\nTech sector employment is almost 600,000 below its pre-recession level.
\nAccording to the Center, at the current rate of job growth (2.2 million\/year), it’ll be 6 more years to reach pre-recession employment levels.
\nUnfortunately, the Center doubts that the recovery can be sustained for that long, due to “the current imbalances in the economy, most importantly the extraordinary run-up in house prices and the large trade deficit”.
\nThis could mean that, unless she stumbles across an enlightened employer who will ignore which bathroom she uses and focuses instead on her credentials, my friend could be out of work for a very long time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"