Younger women are closing the gender gap in managerial roles in the U.S.

Women are approaching a critical milestone in the U.S. Entering 2024, those aged 25 to 34 accounted for a nearly 48% employment share in managerial roles—almost entirely closing a gap that has long favoured men. Progress on this front has been particularly swift. As recently as 2014, women in the early stages of their careers accounted for just 43% of managerial positions in the U.S. What’s driving the push into management among younger women? A record gender gap in college attendance is one factor. In 2022, 48% of women with high school degrees enrolled in college compared to just 39% of men with the same degree. Their tendency to wait longer before starting a family (the average age of first birth has risen to 27.3 years compared with 25.6 years in 2011) has also likely enabled them to be more career-focused relative to men. While younger women now seem to be competing on an equal footing to men at the beginning of their careers, it remains to be seen whether these gains will translate into greater representation later on. Indeed, women continue to face significant tradeoffs between starting families and their careers. And as the population ages, they are increasingly responsible for elder care. At the moment, growth in women’s representation in management at the mid and late career points continues to be stubbornly incremental—as does growth in their representation in senior management roles. Thanks for subscribing to CPP Investments Sign up for our latest news, insights, reports and other information about CPP Investments Email address * Please enter valid email id Job title Select Job Title Associate Analyst Consultant advisor Manager/supervisor Government official/regulator General manager/director Board director Chairman/board member VP/SVP/EVP President Partner/Owner/Entrepreneur Parent/guardian C-level other Chief Human Resources Officer Chief Marketing Officer Chief Financial Officer Chief Sustainability Officer Chief Digital Officer Chief Technology Officer Chief Operating Officer Educator/professor Student Editor/reporter Other Organization How did you hear about CPP Investments? Select Source CPP Investments alumni CPP Investments employee or board member CPP Investments portfolio company Online search (e.g. Google) Social media Other What news would you like to receive? * News and updates from CPP Investments Latest news from the Insights Institute Consent * By checking here, you are subscribing to receive our newsletters and other similar types of insights and reports by email, and permit CPP Investments to use cookies and similar technologies to analyze your interactions with our emails. Unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the newsletter’s footer. Visit our Privacy Policy for more information. Questions or concerns? Contact us. An error has occurred. Please try again later. Next Subscribe Thanks for subscribing to CPP Investments Sign up for our latest news, insights, reports and other information about CPP Investments Email address * Please enter valid email id Job title Select Job Title Associate Analyst Consultant advisor Manager/supervisor Government official/regulator General manager/director Board director Chairman/board member VP/SVP/EVP President Partner/Owner/Entrepreneur Parent/guardian C-level other Chief Human Resources Officer Chief Marketing Officer Chief Financial Officer Chief Sustainability Officer Chief Digital Officer Chief Technology Officer Chief Operating Officer Educator/professor Student Editor/reporter Other Organization How did you hear about CPP Investments? Select Source CPP Investments alumni CPP Investments employee or board member CPP Investments portfolio company Online search (e.g. Google) Social media Other What news would you like to receive? * News and updates from CPP Investments Latest news from the Insights Institute Consent * By checking here, you are subscribing to receive our newsletters and other similar types of insights and reports by email, and permit CPP Investments to use cookies and similar technologies to analyze your interactions with our emails. Unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the newsletter’s footer. Visit our Privacy Policy for more information. Questions or concerns? Contact us. Please fill in required fields An error has occurred. Please try again later. Five Minutes with Michel Leduc Michel Leduc, Global Head of Public Affairs and Communications, explores evolving industrial policy, concentration risks, and why investors Video January 31, 2024 “Challenge your beliefs”: Investing in times of geopolitical turbulence Over the past several years, Ed Cass has seen first-hand how labour issues, political tensions and technological change have impacted asset Article January 31, 2024 Who will win the global AI race? Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize the way the global economy works and how many businesses generate profits. Article January 31, 2024