Home › Practical support & advice › Management community › Blogs

Women more likely to keep their job during the recession

Submitted by Adrian Gaskell MCMI on Thu, 27/08/2009 - 12:12

Figures released today confirm that female employees are weathering the recession better than their male counterparts.

The study of 45,809 individuals shows that labour turnover amongst women has dropped to a five year low, with women more likely than men to hold on to their jobs as the recession continues to bite.  This is also the first time in over a decade that female labour turnover is lower than that for men.

So why are women doing better?

The research suggested that the key to it all was flexibility.  The current recession has seen companies redeploying staff to new areas of the business in increasing numbers, and it seems that women are better equipped to accept this than men are.  Twice as many women switched departments last year than their male colleagues.

As for why this is, the report unfortunately doesn't delve that deeply.  So I open it to you, the good readers of The Management Blog.  Do women have greater soft skills that transfer better between departments?  Does male pride get in the way of accepting transfers to lesser positions?

What are your experiences?  Have you moved department since the recession?

Related Content: 
Let the recruitment begin
Can you force innovation?
How important are employee benefits during these difficult times?
Managing your way out of the recession
Seven Ways to Be a Better Manager in a Recession
You are not watching this post, click to start watching

Comments

Submitted by on Thu, 27/08/2009 - 14:58

This is an interesting comment. I think part of the reason is that a number of male dominated industries such as cars, chemicals etc have experienced higher job cuts. Flexibility is key.

Submitted by on Fri, 28/08/2009 - 09:37

Would be good to hear from women as to why they think they have fared better and been more able to switch roles.

Apart from Adi's potential suggestions, there has been a fair bit written about the pay gap - maybe if women are cheaper then companies are happier to switch their roles?

Was there any data as to the type of riles which were being switched?

Submitted by on Fri, 28/08/2009 - 10:58

It didn't go into that level of detail unfortunately Ray. It would certainly be interesting to know though.

Submitted by on Fri, 28/08/2009 - 13:11

Maybe the study should be called ‘Women willing to settle for less in the recession’. It’s slightly misleading to say women are ‘doing better’ if doing better means women are more willing than men to take pay cuts or move to a more junior role.

Submitted by on Fri, 28/08/2009 - 13:52

Surely it's all relative? A job is better than no job after all.

Submitted by on Fri, 28/08/2009 - 13:53

I should also perhaps add that the research didn't reveal whether people were moving to lesser positions, either in terms of pay or status, it merely said that they were moving roles.

Submitted by on Fri, 28/08/2009 - 14:28

I am wondering if they examined only full time jobs as more women tend to be in part-time employment. Not sure what lesser jobs mean - less pay? less incentives? less status? less choice?

Submitted by on Fri, 28/08/2009 - 21:10

Here's an article from the US that might shed some more light on this (at least from a US perspective)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-01-11-unemployment-rate-sexes...

Submitted by on Sat, 29/08/2009 - 22:37

So perhaps its the competitive nature of men thats causing them to move rather than take a hit to their pride and switch departments. I wonder who will actually be better off in the long run though?