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In Oregon and in our local region, women continue to play a pivotal role in the workplace, despite the pandemic’s toll.
In an article published on the State of Oregon Employment Department (OED) website in March of this year (based on pre-pandemic statistics), it is reported that more than 930,000 jobs in Oregon businesses or state and local governments were held by women in 2019. Women represent 49 percent of employment in Oregon, but the share of jobs held by women varies considerably by industry.
The report goes on to state that women’s average earnings were $3,846 per month in 2019, an inflation-adjusted growth rate of 2.4 percent from 2018. This continues a trend of growth in women’s average wages that has exceeded the growth of total average wages throughout the United States. The report adds that earnings for women, just like employment, vary by industry.
The OED article reports that the industries where women earned the highest average income were management of companies and enterprises ($6,713), utilities ($6,334) and finance and insurance ($5,716). These industries have a higher average wage, overall. Industries where women earned the least in terms of average income were arts, entertainment and recreation ($1,900), accommodation and food services ($1,952) and other services ($2,197). Similarly, these industries tend to have a lower average wage, overall.
Women outnumbered men in seven of Oregon’s 20 major industry sectors, the report states, and the biggest difference between women and men in industry sectors is in health care and social assistance, where three out of four jobs are held by women. Other noticeable majorities of women in the workplace are in educational services (66 percent) and finance and insurance (62 percent). In contrast, women are noticeably missing from mining (15 percent) and construction (19 percent) worksites.
Although the figures reported in the OED article represent the Oregon economy at peak, prior to the onset of the pandemic recession in early 2020, statistics for the rest of 2020 and 2021 are beginning to emerge. Damon Runberg, Regional Economist with the OED who serves the East Cascades region, says that although the numbers from the 2020 census are not available for analysis just yet (they are coming soon), there are patterns and trends the OED is seeing as a result of the pandemic.
“Employment losses during the pandemic hit female workers harder than males,” says Runberg. “Much of that is likely a reflection of the composition of the industries hit hard by COVID layoffs. Females account for a higher share of the workforce in health care, leisure and hospitality, and other services. Some of the disproportional impact could also be related to school and daycare closures.” He adds, “Many working parents were forced to exit the workforce due to lack of childcare options during the pandemic. That burden often falls hardest on moms.”
In Deschutes County, Runberg says there is an interesting takeaway in terms of a long-term trend. (See accompanying chart.) “Female workers have seen faster rates of job growth than males in Deschutes County going back to 2000. Levels were up 63 percent for female workers in 2020 relative to the 20 years prior, compared to 59 percent for male workers. The divergence happened during the last recession, where male workers were much harder hit by layoffs due to construction losses. Male workers made up some of the lost ground through 2014, then the two groups grew largely at the same pace up until the pandemic in Spring 2020.
