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SALT LAKE CITY -- For the first time in U.S. history, there may soon be more women in the labor force than men. Even as more people are clamoring for jobs overall, many Utah companies are still trying to help women balance their work lives and their family lives.
Looking at numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there's a lot of speculation that women could outnumber men in the workforce as soon as this month or November.
Some business analysts say they're not surprised.
"The idea that men are the breadwinners has been changing. It's only natural that women equal, if not outnumber, the men in the workforce," says Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Women's Business Center Program Director Lavanya Mahate.
Mahate says many people hurt by rising unemployment are men, as jobs in fields like manufacturing have dried up.
"Women have stayed steady with industries like health care and education that are more stable," she says.
Mahate says, however, companies are still holding on to "flex time" even if the economy is down. "Smart companies know now to prepare for the future where they have to keep loyal employees," she says.
She says it may be an employer's market now, but that will change soon enough, and when it does, it pays to keep employees happy.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
