2018 Quarter 3: Southwest VA Workforce Report

Welcome to the 2018 quarter three workforce report, produced by the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development. This document focuses on gender in the workplace at the national and regional level. National trends provide context for gender-based wage differences and the barriers women face throughout their time in the workforce. Regional trends illustrate how these differences affect the seven counties and city that comprise the workforce area. This report begins by outlining national trends related to gender -based workforce inequalities and details information on the role of gender in labor force participation, highlighting disparities between education attainment and career opportunities for men and women. The report continues this focus on page four, displaying data on female representation at all levels of the corporate ladder as well as information related to female representation and weekly wages for national sectors and female employment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This quarter’s data snapshot then focuses on regional trends, including information and data related to demographic changes, female labor force participation, and female representation in regional industry sectors. Page six offers an overview of occupations for both men and women. Additionally, a map illustrating female representation in the regional labor force and the gender wage gap is included on page six. The next two pages (seven and eight) Include information and data related to female employment in GO Virginia target industries within the region as well as other industries important to the area economy. Page nine includes brief summaries of interviews with women working in some of the region’s target industries. These interview summaries offer personal experiences and perspectives from females in industries or occupations where women may be underrepresented. The report concludes with a brief summary.