U.S. Department of Labor
Women’s Bureau
Fiscal Year 2007 Outlook
Better Jobs! Better Earnings! Better Living!
February 2007
Strengthening the Family
The Women’s Bureau was created by Congressional mandate in 1920. It is the only federal agency charged to advocate on behalf of women in the workforce.
The Bureau’s mission is to improve the status of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, and advance their opportunities for profitable employment.
It promotes 21 st Century solutions to improve the status of working women and their families.
The Bureau designs and implements demonstration projects that employ “high tech” (Web sites, virtual conferences, and e-mentoring) and “high touch” (counseling and classroom instruction) elements.
All Women’s Bureau projects follow a strategic plan, achieve measurable results, and can be replicated by other organizations.
Better Jobs! Better Earnings! Better Living!
Strategic Goals, FY 2006-2011
USDOL Strategic Goals
“A Prepared Workforce” Develop a prepared workforce by providing effective training and support services to workers
“Strengthened Economic Protections” Protect and strengthen worker economic security
“A Competitive Workforce” Meet the competitive labor demands of the worldwide economy
WB Goals
Better Jobs! Increase women’s employment opportunities
Better Earnings! Increase women’s financial security
Better Living! Increase number of flexible work programs and policies
FY 2007 Project
Working Women in Transition (image)
Wi$e Up (image)
Flex-Options for Women (image)
Women’s Employment in the U.S.
In 2006, 70 million women – 59% of the 118 million women 16 years of age and older – participated in the U.S. labor force.
Women comprised 46% of the total U.S. labor force and are projected to account for 51% of the increase in the labor force from 2004-2014.
Women were concentrated in management, professional, and related occupations (38%); sales and office occupations (34%); and service occupations (20%).
75% of employed women worked full-time, while 25% worked part-time.
There were nearly 6.5 million women-owned businesses in 2002, up 20% from 1997. The increase was twice the national average for all businesses.
Better Jobs! Better Earnings! Better Living!
Women’s Employment Opportunities
Women’s Bureau demonstration projects are designed to help women enter higher-paying occupations such as those in the managerial, professional, and technical areas.
While the median weekly earnings for women employed full-time were $600 in 2006, women working in managerial, professional, and related occupations earned $840; healthcare practitioner and technical occupations, $860; and computer and mathematical occupations, $1,043.
Better Jobs!
Working Women in Transition
Project Goal: To connect women who are making a transition in their work lives with mentors, resources, and learning opportunities to enable them to (1) receive an increase in wages/salary or a promotion, (2) find employment or start a business, (3) enter into post-secondary or graduate degree education or a certification or licensing program
Women’s Bureau and local service providers provide access to face-to-face and online mentors (e-mentoring), online employment tools, and skills training.
Participants also receive childcare and transportation assistance, counseling, and work clothing.
Working Women in Transition (image)
www.workingwomenintransition.org
University of Kentucky manages the Web site
FY 2006 Project Outcomes
777 women registered
198 achieved their career goals
83 entered career education or a degree program
167 increase their earnings
203 found employment
Better Jobs!
Working Women in Transitions
FY 2007 Performance Goals
793 women register
396 women receive training
41% of participants increase their earnings
46% of participants find employment
20% of participants enter into post-secondary or graduate degree education or a certification or licensing program
Participating Regions
I (MA), III (PA), IV (GA), V (IL), VI (TX), VIII (CO)
Upon registration, WWIT participants identify their short-term and long-term career goals.
Participants may remain enrolled in WWIT for two years.
Better Jobs!
Working Women in Transition Project Site, Population Served, Contractor
Essex Junction, VT (Region I); Pre-release incarcerated women; Vermont Works for Women
Beaver & Allegheny Counties, PA and WV (Region III); Single mothers; PA Women Work!
Lexington, KY (Region IV); Women in substance abuse treatment; Chrysalis House
Atlanta, GA (Region IV); Women impacted by hurricanes; YWCA of Greater Atlanta
Columbus, OH (Region V); Baby Boomer women; Jewish Family Services of Columbus
Chicago, IL (Region V); Asian American women starting a business; Women’s Business Development Center & Asian American Alliance
Little Rock, AK (Region VI); Women receiving TANF; Hope Center
Houston, TX (Region VI); Women impacted by hurricanes; Women Helping Women
New Orleans, LA (Region VI); Women impacted by hurricanes; Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc.
Sioux Falls, SD (Region VIII); Native American and rural women; Lower Brule Community College, Southeast Technical Institute, Young Women’s Unity Association of the Black Hills
Women’s Financial Security
In March 2005, just 47% of wage and salaried women participated in a retirement plan.
Women are more likely than men to work in part-time jobs that don’t qualify for a retirement plan.
Women are also more likely than men to interrupt their careers to take care of family members. Therefore they work fewer years and contribute less toward their retirement.
On average, women retiring at age 65 can expect to live another 20 years, compared to 17 years for men. Women who live longer in retirement have a greater chance of exhausting their sources of income.
In 2004, the average annual Social Security income received by women 65 and over was $9,408, compared to $12,381 for men.
In general, women invest more conservatively than men and receive lower rates of return from their investments over time.
Better Earnings!
Wi$e Up
Project Goal: To provide financial education to Generations X and Y women so they will reduce their debt and increase their savings and/or investments
An online and classroom-based curriculum covers saving, credit, debt, insurance, investing, and retirement planning.
Over 100 financial experts answer questions via e-mail. The “Ask the Experts” archive is available online.
Speakers provide financial guidance on Wi$e Up Teleconference Calls. Transcripts and audio recordings are available online.
State Farm Insurance Companies, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Financial Planning Association collaborate with the Women’s Bureau to implement Wi$e Up.
Organizations offering Wi$e Up classes include government agencies, employers, universities, a shelter for victims of domestic violence, and a residence for single mothers.
Wi$e Up (image)
Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University System manages the Web site
FY 2004-2006 Project Outcomes
2,306 registered participants
28 Wi$e Up Teleconference Calls
1,000,000 hits to Web site
13,930 downloads of teleconference transcripts and audio recordings from Web site
Independent project evaluation completed in FY 2006
Better Earnings!
Wi$e Up
Wi$e Up Replication Projects
The University of Maryland, Eastern Shore is offering students one unit of credit for completing the Wi$e Up curriculum.
The WA Correctional Center for Women in Purdy has been using Wi$e Up for incarcerated women since late 2005.
Employees of Alcatel Corporation receive CEU credit from the National Management Association for completing Wi$e Up.
The women$finances Program at the YWCA in Anchorage, AK has been using the Wi$e Up curriculum in its classrooms since late 2005.
The Native Americans for Community Action, Inc. (NACA) Workforce Investment Act Program and the Coconino County Career Center conducted a Wi$e Up class for Native American women in Flagstaff, AZ.
Wi$e Up project graduate with project leaders (image)
FY 2007 Performance Goals
Enroll 1,058 participants
41% of participants pledge to reduce their debt
44% of participants pledge to increase their savings and/or investments
Participating Regions
I (MA), II (NY), III (PA), IV (GA), VI (TX), VII (MO), VIII (CO), X (WA)
Better Earnings!
Other Financial Security Projects
Project Goal: To increase women’s financial literacy and retirement security
The Women’s Bureau hosts workshops or provides other financial education resources to targeted communities.
In FY 2005, 10 conferences served 1,030 women, including low-income women, Asian Americans, American Indians, business owners, and single mothers.
Women Managing Those Dollars (image)
FY 2007 Projects
Region III – Financial Literacy for Korean American Women; Washington, DC
Region V – Smart Women, Smart Money; Chicago, IL
Region VII- Financial Fitness Boot Camp; Kansas City, KS
Region IX – Financial Literacy for Native Women, Native Public Radio, AZ
Region X - Financial Literacy for Korean, Immigrant, & Refugee Women; Lakewood, WA; Financial Literacy for Rural Women; Boise, ID
Better Earnings!
Balancing Work and Family
Both husband and wife worked in 57% of all married-couple families in 2004. Both spouses worked in 68% of married-couple families with children under 18.
27.5% of full-time workers had flexible work schedules in May 2004, down from 28.6% in May 2001. Men were somewhat more likely to have flexible schedules than women (28.1% of men and 26.7% of women).
3.8 million women and 3.8 million men held multiple jobs in 2006.
(image) 63% of women with children under 6 were in the labor force in 2005, as were 77% of women with children 6 to 17.
“All of us have something in common, regardless of which position we hold. In any survey of working women, one of the most sought-after benefits is time: time to care for a child, or a loved one, or other important family matters.”
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
“Women On the World Symposium,” February 7, 2007
Better Living!
Flex-Options
Project Goal: To encourage business owners to develop workplace flexibility policies and procedures, such as telecommuting, job sharing, and compressed work-week schedules
Corporate executives and workplace flexibility experts establish one-on-one mentoring relationships with business owners to teach them how to develop flexible work policies.
Best practices are shared online and via teleconference calls featuring experienced professionals and leaders in the flexible workplace field.
Flex-Options (image)
Women Entrepreneurs, Inc. manages Web site
FY 2004-2006 Project Outcomes
209 employers created or expanded 402 flexible work policies or programs
17 virtual conference calls on career flexibility topics
Over 372,000 employees gained access to new flexible work policies or programs
Better Living!
Flex-Options
Flex-Options Conference
Celebrating Flexible Workplaces: The Latest Research, Trends and Innovations
Phoenix, AZ
February 20, 2007
FY 2007 Performance Goals
137 employers create or expand a flexible work program or policy
292 new or expanded policies and programs
Over 1,770 employees have access to new flexible policies or programs
Participating Regions
II (NY), III (PA), V (IL), VI (TX), VII (MO), VIII (CO), IX (CA), X (WA)
Better Living!
Outreach: Leadership Forums
From 2004 to 2006, the Women’s Bureau held leadership forums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The Bureau also held a National Women’s Leadership Summit.
The forums brought together women leaders from faith-based organizations, chambers of commerce, corporate America, local industry, and state and local governments. Attendees learned how to replicate Women’s Bureau demonstration projects.
In 2007, the Bureau is expanding outreach activities (increasing the numbers of leaders participating in leadership forums and conferences) to promote replications.
Other Outreach
e-News (image)
Women’s Bureau Electronic Newsletter – Launched in 2002, e-News informs the public about the Bureau’s projects and activities.
Military Spouse Resource Center (www.milspouse.org) – An online learning tool and resource guide, the Center helps military spouses access training and job placement opportunities, community resources, and their local workforce development systems.
International Visitors Briefings – Briefings for international dignitaries and women leaders are coordinated with the Department of Sate and the DOL Bureau of International Labor Affairs.
From FY 2002 – 2006, the Women’s Bureau briefed 773 visitors from 111 countries.
Past Projects
Better Jobs!
Employer-Driven Older Women Workers
Group E-Mentoring in Nursing (GEM-Nursing)
Girls’ E-Mentoring in Science, Engineering, and Technology (GEM-SET)
Ground Zero Initiative: Building a Pipeline of Women for the Skilled Trades in Metropolitan New York (Construction Trades Prep)
Online Learning for Single Mothers
Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Technical Assistance Grants
Women with Disabilities Entrepreneurship
Better Earnings
Las Mujeres y el Dinero (Women and Money)
Neighborhood Networks
Better Living!
Girls’ E-Mentoring in Science, Engineering, and Technology (GEM-SET)
Project Goal: To introduce girls ages 13 to 18 to careers in science, engineering, and technology (SET) and encourage them to pursue SET education
The Women’s Bureau connected girls in middle school and high school with professional women in the SET fields who volunteered as GEM-SET mentors.
High Tech: Girls corresponded with mentors via a listserv. The Q&A digest was archived online.
High Touch: Girls participated in SET events, field trips, and campus visits.
GEM-SET targeted 41 states and the District of Columbia.
GEM-SET (image)
University of Illinois (Chicago) managed the Web site
FY 2002-2004 Project Outcomes
1,365 participants
300 mentors representing 47 SET fields
165 supporters helped implement GEM-SET
Better Jobs!
GEM-SET Replication Projects
GEM-SET Mentoring for Success at the University of Illinois at Chicago
The project is supported by the U.S. Department of Education Women’s Educational Equity Act Program, the Motorola Foundation, and the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
Math Opens the Door Scholarships (MODS)
In FY 2005, the National Science Foundation awarded a grant to Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, FL to support the MODS program, which has an e-mentoring component modeled after GEM-SET.
GEM-Guidant in St. Paul, MN
In FY 2005, WomenVenture partnered with Guidant Corporation to create a mentoring program linking junior and senior high school students with volunteer mentors in SET fields.
A “How to” guide is available to organizations interested in replicating GEM-SET.
Better Jobs!
Group E-Mentoring in Nursing (GEM-Nursing)
Project Goal: To increase the number of women and men who choose a nursing career
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that registered nurses will create the second largest number of new jobs among all occupations through 2014.
Women’s Bureau linked students ages 15 to 21 with mentors in the field of nursing via email, a Web site, and events in FY 2004 – 2006.
The GEM-Nursing Web site contained information on the nursing profession, educational programs, and links to financial aid resources.
The University of Michigan School of Nursing, one of the leading institutions in the healthcare field, hosted and maintained the project listserv, Web site, and Daily Digest with questions and answers about nursing.
GEM-NURSING (image)
University of Michigan manages the Web site
FY2004-2006 Project Outcomes
Over 1,600 students participated from regions I (MA), II (NY), III (PA), V (IL), VII (MO), VIII (CO)
174 Mentors in FY 2006
36 organizations collaborated on GEM-Nursing in FY 2006
Independent project evaluation completed in FY 2006
Project featured on Career Voyages Web site (www.careervoyages.org)
Better Jobs!
GEM-Nursing Replication Projects
GEM-Nursing at Streamwood High School in Streamwood, IL
Since the Women’s Bureau GEM-Nursing project ended, health occupations students at Streamwood High School have continued to participate in GEM-Nursing. Last year, over 100 students learned about nursing careers from guest speakers in a variety of nursing fields and visits to area hospitals and clinics.
Group E-Mentoring at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA
Thomas Jefferson University began a group e-mentoring program with their PACE (Plan A College Education) students. (The PACE program allows talented and ambitious high school seniors to reserve a seat in a future class at the university.) The participating students, who are from various areas and school in PA, communicate via e-mail with registered nurses.
(Image of students) Gem-Nursing students at Fort Osage High School in Independence, MO
A “How to” guide is available to organizations interested in starting a GEM-Nursing program.
Better Jobs!
Women’s Bureau
1-800-827-5335
www.dol.gov/wb
National Office
Shinae Chun, Director
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-6710
Region 1: Boston (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont)
Jacqueline Cooke, RA
J.F.K. Federal Building, Room E-270
Government Center
Boston, MA 02203
1-800-827-5335 or (617) 565-1988
Fax: (617) 565-1986
Region 2: New York (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands)
Jacqueline Cooke, Acting RA
201 Varick Street, Room 602
New York, NY 10014-4811
1-800-827-5335 or (212) 337-2389
Fax: (212) 337-2394
Region 3: Philadelphia (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia)
Lucia Bruce, RA
The Curtis Center
Suite 631 East
170 S. Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3318
1-800-827-5335 or (215) 861-4860
Fax: (215) 861-4867
Region 4: Atlanta (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee)
Paulette Lewis, RA
Atlanta Federal Center
61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 7T95
Atlanta, GA 30303
1-800-827-5335 or (404) 562-2336
Fax: (404) 562-2413
Region 5: Chicago (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin)
Nancy Chen, RA
230 South Dearborn Street, Room 1022
Chicago, IL 60604
1-800-827-5335 or (312) 353-6985
Fax: (312) 353-6986
Region 6: Dallas (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas)
Beverly Lyle, RA
Federal Building
525 Griffin Street, Suite 735
Dallas, TX 75202
1-800-827-5335 or (214) 767-6985
Fax: (214) 767-5418
Region 7: Kansas City (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska)
Dorothy Witherspoon, RA
Two Pershing Square Building
2300 Main Street, Suite 1050
Kansas City, MO 64108
1-800-827-5335 or (816) 285-7233
Fax: (816) 285-7237
Region 8: Denver (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming)
Frances Jefferson, RA
1999 Broadway, Suite 1620
P.O. Box 46550
Denver, CO 80201-6550
1-800-827-5335 or (303) 844-1286
Fax: (303) 844-1283
Region 9: San Francisco (Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, and Nevada)
Jenny Erwin, RA
90 7th Street, Suite 2-650
San Francisco, CA 94103
1-800-827-5335 or (415) 625-2640
Fax: (415) 625-2641
Region 10: Seattle (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington)
Betty Lock RA
1111 Third Avenue, Room 925
Seattle, WA 98101-3211
1-800-827-5335 or (206) 553-1534
Fax: (206) 553-5085