In 1995, 61.3% of married women participated in the labour force. Remove the over 54 category and the number is much higher.

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Facts, Figures and the Future Women in the labour force The future Currently one in every 5 Canadian woman lives below the poverty line, and the numbers are growing. Many different kinds of women are included here: older women, young women with children, single women and married women. Most women have been taught to believe that marriage will protect them from financial hardship. But the fact is that more than 75% of women living in poverty today are currently married, or have been married in the past. Women are recognizing the economic realities of these times: many of the clerical, service and manufacturing jobs that were open to them in the past are being lost to technological change. Ottawa has projected that 2 million Canadian jobs will be lost to technology during the 1990s. The jobs that will be created by the new technology are in fields that have traditionally been dominated by men. Another reality that we have to face is the number of tradespeople in this county who are over 50 years old, and the number of younger workers who have not been trained to replace them. The numbers lost to attrition are proving to be a major factor in critical trades worker shortages. Trades and technical workers have gained new respect as their importance to Canadian industry has become more evident. With the activities of trade unions, the resulting improvements in living standards have made trade and technical work an important and viable career option for young people. Technological innovations have lessened the physical requirements of the work. Increased job satisfaction and higher wages have made this work more attractive to girls and women. The increased opportunities for having a positive impact on the environment has also led more young people to consider career choices in science and technology. Facts and Figures More women in the labour force Working women have lower earnings than men Genders dominate selected professional fields The future Source Material Produced by Kootenay WITT 1995

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