Is the recession making job hunting harder for women?
With all the doom and gloom currently surrounding the jobs market, young women would be forgiven for thinking they are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to finding a graduate role. Indeed, figures recently released by the Trades Union Congress reveal that the rate of unemployment among women has continued to rise after the end of the recession, while the figure for men has fallen slightly.
So does this mean women are facing a bleak time of things in the jobs market at the moment? Well, yes and no. To understand the true meaning of the above figures it's important to understand what has caused the difference to arise. As anyone who has been following recent developments will know the coalition government is currently embarking on a massive campaign of cuts, with the public sector being hit particularly hard. Not surprisingly, this will lead to job losses, but what people may not realise is that more women are employed in the public sector than men, and this has helped create the imbalance in the unemployment figures.
So perhaps things aren't as bad as they might seem for women graduates looking for work. Of course, there are graduate opportunities in the public sector and the number of these will have fallen, but that's a problem that will affect men as well as women, so there's no need for the latter group to unduly worry about things.
Yes, the job market is tougher but it's tougher for everyone. The best thing women looking for a graduate job can do is ensure they are selling themselves to potential employers by ensuring their CV, covering letter and interview technique are up to scratch. That way they can maximise their chances of getting their dream job no matter what sector it happens to be in.
