{"id":19825,"date":"2023-06-08T05:14:26","date_gmt":"2023-06-08T09:14:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/news\/6-cities-where-women-earn-more\/"},"modified":"2023-06-08T05:14:27","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T09:14:27","slug":"6-cities-where-women-earn-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/?p=19825","title":{"rendered":"6 cities where women earn more"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The U.S. has a long way to go when it comes to women\u2019s equality in the workplace. The evidence? While America is ranked 20th out of 189 in the\u00a0Women\u2019s Workplace Equality Index\u00a0\u2014 which measures legal obstacles to women\u2019s economic participation worldwide \u2014 it is behind countries such as Australia, Canada and Mexico. Women are also still underrepresented in entry-level and senior leadership roles and tech fields and are more likely to face barriers at work, from microaggressions to burnout, according to a 2022\u00a0report on Women in the Workplace\u00a0released by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.<\/p>\n

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But some cities make it easier for women to thrive in the workplace. In March, virtual work experience company Forage released a\u00a0study\u00a0listing the 15\u00a0top cities for women to launch careers. To put together the roster, a team of analysts evaluated 399 U.S. cities based on data points that specified career success for women. Jenna Bellassai, the study\u2019s lead data reporter, noted that the study is unique for including factors related to well-being and healthcare rather than just financial factors and focusing on cities of all sizes (other studies often only look at ones with the highest populations).\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used indicators like the median female earnings and women\u2019s earnings as a percentage of men\u2019s earnings,\u201d Bellassai said. \u201cBut we also included indicators like infant care costs as a share of median family income, access to birth control and maternal mortality rate \u2014 so we were really looking to take a holistic approach that didn\u2019t just consider financial indicators.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here, we spotlight the top six cities on the list.<\/p>\n

Portland, Maine<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Situated on a peninsula in Casco Bay,\u00a0Portland\u00a0is known for its waterfront beauty,\u00a0thriving culinary scene\u00a0and charming cobblestone streets. But Maine\u2019s largest city also\u00a0has draws for working adults:\u00a0It is the state\u2019s industrial and business center, where tourism and the service sectors drive the economy. As a result, it tops Forage\u2019s list of best cities for women to launch their careers for several reasons, including a low female unemployment rate of 2.4% (the national average in the U.S. is 6%) and a smaller wage gap (women earn 91.5% of a man\u2019s salary, 18.6% more than the national average of 72.9%). Plus, more than 58% of workers in management positions are women (compared with the national average of about 42%).<\/p>\n

Bismarck, North Dakota<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota, is the state\u2019s second most populated city (Fargo is the first). While the enclave has a sleepy reputation, it is a\u00a0hub for retail and healthcare businesses, including major employers such as Sanford Health, Aetna and Walmart
\n WMT,
\n +0.15%<\/bg-quote>.<\/span>
\n According to Forage\u2019s study, it earned high marks as a city for working women thanks to low female unemployment (1%, one of the lowest values among all the cities on the list) and a smaller wage gap (women earn 93.7% of a man\u2019s salary, 20.8% more than the national average). Child care costs also take up a\u00a0lower percentage of the median family income\u00a0(12.6% versus the national average of 22.4%.) North Dakota residents have access to some women\u2019s health benefits such as birth control and preventive care.<\/p>\n

See<\/strong>: North Dakota governor signs law banning nearly all abortions<\/p>\n

Grand Junction, Colorado<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Tucked on Colorado\u2019s beautiful Western Slope,\u00a0Grand Junction\u00a0is the largest city in the state outside of the Front Range corridor, which includes Denver and Colorado Springs. The town is a major transportation and business hot spot and\u00a0healthcare, agriculture, tourism and oil and gas are among the economic drivers. Grand Junction is one of four Centennial State cities that made Forage\u2019s list of top places for women to\u00a0launch their careers\u00a0(the others are Centennial, Denver and Broomfield), thanks to the state\u2019s paid family leave law, which allows for 12 weeks and up to four additional weeks for complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. However, the study indicated that Grand Junction stands out from the others for its very low female unemployment rate (0.8% versus Denver\u2019s 5.6% and Broomfield\u2019s 3%). Women\u2019s earnings as a percentage of men\u2019s earnings is 94.4%.<\/p>\n

Also see:<\/strong> U.S. gender pay gap barely budged over the past 20 years. Why not?<\/p>\n

Stamford, Connecticut<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Stamford\u00a0is located about 30 miles from Manhattan, giving residents access to the best of one of America\u2019s most prominent cities\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0the benefits of mid-size-city living, including a variety of lodging options and room to roam. While those living in Stamford can\u00a0easily commute to New York City for work, there are also career opportunities within city limits since it is the headquarters for big-name corporations, including Charter Communications
\n CHTR,
\n +2.34%<\/bg-quote>,<\/span>
\n Indeed.com and Cenveo. In addition, Stamford scored points as a coveted home base for working women on Forage\u2019s list due to its higher median earnings for women of $50,916 (compared with the national average of $36,726) and 12-week maximum family leave law.<\/p>\n

Read<\/strong>: Women are overrepresented in lower-paying jobs. It\u2019s costing them billions of dollars.<\/p>\n

Portland, Oregon<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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The breathtaking Pacific Northwest scenery and a healthy job market draw professionals of all stripes to\u00a0Oregon\u2019s largest city. There, a\u00a0bevy of industries contribute to the economy, including software and electronics, outdoor apparel and food and beverage, and heavyweights such as Nike
\n NKE,
\n +0.85%<\/bg-quote>,<\/span>
\n HP
\n HPQ,
\n +0.94%<\/bg-quote>
\n and Boeing
\n BA,
\n +2.24%<\/bg-quote>
\n call the city home. While it\u2019s not the most affordable place to live \u2014\u00a0Portland\u2019s median home value\u00a0is\u00a0$522,162\u00a0\u2014 Forage ranked the city highly when it came to median female earnings ($47,516, which is $10,790 more than the national average) and women\u2019s earnings as a percentage of men\u2019s (more than 89%). Like Colorado and Connecticut, Oregon also has a law allowing up to 12 weeks of family leave.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t miss: <\/strong>14 of the best and most affordable places to live on the West Coast<\/p>\n

Baltimore<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Home to Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. Naval Academy and other renowned higher education institutions,\u00a0Baltimore\u00a0is a haven for knowledge-seekers. But those already in the workforce can benefit from the city\u2019s many booming industries, from manufacturing and finance to life sciences. According to Forage, Baltimore is an\u00a0attractive landing spot for women to launch their careers\u00a0because women make 89.2% of men\u2019s earnings (16.3% higher than the national average) and occupy over 53% of the city\u2019s management positions (11% higher than the national average). Infant care costs in Baltimore are also lower than the national average (17.6% versus 22.4%). In addition, the state has a generous family policy \u2014 12 weeks with 12 additional weeks for parents experiencing special circumstances.<\/p>\n

Read the original article on Livability.<\/em> (April 21, 2023)<\/em><\/p>\n