Job Training is Vital to Economic Security for Women

Women play an important role in the success of the Washington region’s economy, and Maryland can do more to foster their economic security through job training that gives them the skills they need to thrive in today’s economy. Although women in this region are more likely than their counterparts in other areas to have higher earnings and hold manager-level positions, job training programs would help hundreds of thousands of women get the kinds of jobs that would allow them to better provide for themselves and their families.

Just over half of women living in households with incomes less than $23,340 work in the Washington region. In comparison, 72 percent of women with household incomes above that threshold work, according to new research by the Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

For many impoverished women, lower education levels disqualify them from higher-paying jobs, particularly within the highly competitive Washington region. There is a strong correlation between the level of education and income levels; 59 percent of the 250,000 women in the region who are unemployed or in low-wage jobs lack education beyond high school.

Minority women face the biggest challenges, and as a result, they account for the majority of low-wage workers in the Washington region. Currently, nearly two-thirds of all workers earning $10.10 per hour or less are women, of whom 81 percent are women of color.

The number of women who have low-paying jobs that provide very little economic security and stability is increasing. In the Washington region, the number of women in low-wage jobs grew 15 percent between 2008 and 2013. Nationwide, 35 percent of all new jobs that women have secured since the Great Recession pay an average of just $10.10 per hour or less.

There is also an alarming number of women who have a harder time supporting their families because they can only find part-time work or work for which they are overqualified. Low-income women are almost twice as likely (21.4 percent) as their male counterparts are (12.6 percent) to be in this situation.

Even though there are plenty of women seeking work, employers still often say they have difficulty connecting with qualified workers. To help employers find the qualified staff they need and create new opportunities for women, policymakers must continue to invest in workforce development programs that allow women to gain valuable skillsets and increase their chances of landing a good job that makes it possible to take care of their families. The benefits don’t end here: job training programs provide low-skilled workers an avenue to become qualified for jobs that offer higher wages and pathways to move up the career ladder, planting the seeds for people to move into the middle class. It’s a win-win.