Women and the Workplace. Statistics we need to know.

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion regarding female representation in the work place.  This is partly as a result of the recent news that the percentage of women in C-Suite positions in Canada has not been growing, and in some cases, the percentage has actually gone down.

I thought that I would put together my Top 20 list of statistics (mostly from Statistics Canada) on female representation in the work force which could possibly bring some further awareness to this issue. 

1.

Canada's population growth is higher than that of any other Group of 7 (G7) nation, including the United Kingdom and the United States with females representing more than 50% of entrants.

2.

As of July 1, 2016, women represented slightly more than 50% of Canada's total population (32,286,400).

3.

In 2016, Canada's population included more senior women (17.8% of the total population of women) than girls aged 14 and younger (15.5%).  This number will continue to grow due to the aging population.

4.

By 2031, nearly one-quarter (24%) of the total female population is projected to be aged 65 or older, up from 17% in 2014.

5.

As of 2011, 19% of all Canadian women and girls were visible minorities (3.2 million).

6.

By 2031, the percentage of women visible minorities may be as high as 31%.

7.

Aboriginal women's population grew at four times the rate (20%) of non-Aboriginal Canadian women (4.8%) between 2006 and 2011.

8.

56% of women 15 and older live as part of a couple, this is down from 60% in 1981.

9.

In 2016, women aged 15 years and older represented nearly half (47.7%) of the labour force compared to 37.3% in 1976.  This is an increase of close to 30%.

10.

In 2011, more than 45% of employed Canadian women worked in one of 20 low-paying occupations, including retail sales associate, administrative assistant, and cashier positions.

11.

Mothers earned 15% less than men and 5% less than women without children.

12.

In the Public sector in 2015, 54% of legislators and senior government managers and officials were women, up 17.2% from 36.8% in 1987.

13.

Only 25.6% of senior managers in the private sector were women.

14.

Just 7 of the 249 companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange's main index have a woman CEO.

15.

Women held just 25% of board seats in 2016.

16.

Norway, France, and Sweden have the highest percentages of women on their boards.

17.

Women comprise just 43% of the Senate and 26.3% of the House of Commons

.

18.

Women's participation rate in business and finance increased more than 44% from 1987 (38.3%) to 2009 (51.2%).

19.

Women account for more than half of university graduates

.

20.

Women earned 52.7% of university degrees (including bachelor's degrees and higher) in 2011.

Food for thought.

Farewell,

Mike