Women's Role in the Missouri Workforce

Artwork by: Ankita Ackroyd-Isales

Although Women's History Month has come and gone, it is important to continue thinking about the various trends facing women at work. Here, we examine workforce participation. Women's participation greatly increased throughout the second half of the twentieth century, but beginning in 2000, it began to stagnate and decrease.

The second half of the twentieth century also saw a large change in the labor market. Women increasingly obtained higher levels of education and became more likely to work full-time and year round (BLS Report 1084).

At the start of the twentieth century, there were very few occupations available to women. But now, women work in a broad array of fields and occupations.

In Missouri, there are large regional differences in the type of industries that comprise job markets. Nationally, gender differences persist across most industries. The industry in which men and women work affects their economic status and security.

The map above depicts the percentage of full time workers who are female.

For the entire state of Missouri, 44.5% of full time workers are female while 55.5% are male.

There are numerous trends in the United States that can affect a woman's full-time employment opportunities. Among these, are various demands for women's time such as childcare and caregiving to elderly family members--responsibilities which disproportionately affect women.

When it comes to household responsibilities, there is also a big gender disparity: 39% of women in dual-career relationships report doing most or all of the hosuework, compared to just 11% of men in dualcareer relationships.

Women in the Workplace 5th Year Report

Childcare is a necessity for working mothers, but it is becoming increasingly expensive in the United States. In Missouri, the average cost for infant childcare is $800 per month (that's nearly $10,000 per year) making full-time employment very difficult for many working mothers with young children.

Additionally, the United States is the only developed country to not have a paid leave policy for maternity leave. The state of Missouri also does not have a policy.

Although there have been great advances in women's equality, there are still numerous challenges before we have a fully egalitarian workforce in Missouri and the United States. By remaining aware of these various issues, obstacles can be overcome, and eventually, glass ceilings will be shattered because of the hard work of generations past and through the dedication of those to come. In questioning the reasons behind the recent stagnation in women's workforce participation, perhaps the trend can be reassessed. To that end, and in celebration of Women's History in every month, Maya Angelou captures the spirit of the moment and past decades of progress in her poem, "Still I Rise,"

Just like the moons and suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise.

Map data from the American Community Survey and the US Census Bureau.

Burke, Alison. “10 Facts about American Women in the Workforce.” Brookings, Brookings, 8 Mar. 2018, www.brookings.edu/blog/brookings-now/2017/12/05/10-facts-about-american-women-in-the-workforce/.

Women in the Workplace - 2019. McKinsey & Company, LeanIn.org, 2019, Women in the Workplace Fifth Year Report.

“Women of Working Age.” U.S. Department of Labor, www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/data/latest-annual-data/working-women.

Woodbury, Emily. “How The High Cost Of Child Care Strains St. Louis Area Families.” St. Louis Public Radio, 1 Aug. 2019, news.stlpublicradio.org/post/how-high-cost-child-care-strains-st-louis-area-families#stream/0.

Header image from:

Wabe. “Influential Atlanta Women Shine During March For Women's History Month.” 90.1 FM WABE, 13 Mar. 2019, www.wabe.org/womens-history-month/.