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39 percent of managers in 2015 were women

August 01, 2016

Women made up 39.2 percent of the 17 million people employed in management occupations in 2015. The management occupation with the highest share of women was medical and health services managers at 73.7 percent. Other management occupations in which women’s share was greater than 65 percent were human resource managers (73.3 percent), social and community service managers (67.4 percent), and education administrators (65.7 percent).

 

 

Percent of workers in selected management occupations who were women and men, 2015 annual averages
Occupation Women   Men

Management occupations

39.2% 60.8%

Medical and health services managers

73.7 26.3

Human resources managers

73.3 26.7

Social and community service managers

67.4 32.6

Education administrators

65.7 34.3

Public relations and fundraising managers

59.2 40.8

Advertising and promotions managers

53.6 46.4

Lodging managers

53.5 46.5

Property, real estate, and community association managers

50.9 49.1

Financial managers

49.6 50.4

Administrative services managers

47.7 52.3

Food service managers

47.1 52.9

Purchasing managers

44.8 55.2

Marketing and sales managers

43.2 56.8

Managers, all other

34.3 65.7

Chief executives

27.9 72.1

General and operations managers

27.6 72.4

Computer and information systems managers

27.2 72.8

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

23.9 76.1

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

21.1 78.9

Industrial production managers

18.3 81.7

Architectural and engineering managers

7.4 92.6

Construction managers

6.7 93.3

The shares of women and men were nearly equal among financial managers and property, real estate, and community association managers. Women made up less than 20 percent of construction managers (6.7 percent), architectural and engineering managers (7.4 percent), and industrial production managers (18.3 percent). Additionally, 27.9 percent of chief executives were women.

These data are from the Current Population Survey. The data shown in the chart do not reflect all managers, but only those whose primary responsibility is planning and directing. Managers and supervisors who perform work similar to the workers they supervise are not classified in management occupations but in the occupation of their staff. We also have more information on women’s employment shares in each occupation.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 39 percent of managers in 2015 were women at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/39-percent-of-managers-in-2015-were-women.htm (visited April 25, 2024).

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