In 1966, James Brown topped the Billboard charts howling “this is a man’s world.” The world has changed. In 1970, women earned roughly 4% of family income in the United States; today, women earn more than 40% of average family income. Since 1980, women’s average weekly pay has jumped 26%, while during the same period men’s pay has increased just 1%. Women comprise 60% of graduating college students and an even higher percentage of graduate students. In the past two recessions, the typical job loser was a high school-educated male in a blue-collar job, such as manufacturing or construction. In the past two recoveries, the typical job gainer was a female with a post-secondary education who works in a service occupation, such as healthcare, education, and business services. To borrow from a great film: “These are the facts of the case, and they are undisputed.”
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