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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2003)
August 06. 2003 (Ebe ^Jartlanb (Dh^mier D iversity X 'W orkplacf Page BS ■» * SPECIAL EDITION M in o r ity W om en M ak e W o r k fo r c e G a in s Women of color concentrated in certain industries (AP) - Minority women are getting more private- sector jobs in America than they were 10 years ago but still face significant workplace challenges, a government report said. M inority women made up nearly 15 percent o f the U.S. private-sector work force in 2001, up about a third from 11 percent in 1990, said the Equal Employ ment Opportunity Commission study, “ Women o f Color: Their Employment in the Private Sector, released Thursday. But many were still concentrated in lower-wage industries and jobs, the report found. Although minority women have made gains in the workplace, “we see some stubborn patterns needing our attention,” said commission chair Cari M. Dominguez. “Too many women ofcolor are concen trated in certain industries and appear to have pla- teaued in lower occupational categories.” Black women were the largest group studied in the survey. Almost 8 percent o f the private-sector work force - more than halfofall working minority women - are black women. They are concentrated in lower- wage jobs. The report found nursing and residential care facilities employed a higher percentage o f black women - more than 23 percent - than any other industry. Next was the social assistance field, where black women employees comprise about 18 percent o f the work force. Black women were also over-represented in sales, clerical and service jobs. The number o f Hispanic women in the private- sector workplace grew the most in the last 10 years - more than doubling - to just under 5 percent o f all private-sector workers. The crop production industry has the highest percentage o f Hispanic w omen among its employees - about 19 percent. About 16 percent o f agriculture and forestry jobs are filled by Hispanic women. Personal and laundry services rank third for Hispanic women, who make up more than 13 percent o f the industry’s work force. “The industries where these women o f color are working are not the high-paying jobs,” said Melissa Josephs, director o f equal opportunity policy at Women Employed, a Chicago-based group. "There’s still a need to have a commitment to breaking the glass ceiling.” Asian women, who make up more than 2 percent o f the private-sector work force, were generally in better positions. They were most represented in the computer and electronics manufacturing industry, where they comprise nearly 5 percent o f the work force. Josephs lauded the study. “E m ployers should take it as an opportunity to look w ithin their w orkplace to see if they really do have a focus on diversity and if th e y ’re m eeting their diversity goals,” she said. '■ L MT High school students don medical clothes and gather around a mannequin on an operating table to experience a simulated surgery at Oregon Health Sciences University. An OHSU nurse directs the learning. M e d S ta r s E x p e r ie n c e H e a lth C a r e e r s U p C lo s e Summer program focuses on underserved populations A g ro u p o f m u ltic u ltu ra l and underserved teens recently got a first hand look at potential health careers thanks to the MedStars Program at O r egon Health Sciences University. The students participated in a five- day exploration o f the life o f a health care student and professional health care provider. The program was created to encour age multicultural and underserved high school students who are serious about medical careers. “ Hike helping people and I’ve always been fascinated with everything hav ing to do with medicine,” said Whitney Alexander o f northeast Portland. The 16-year-old will be a senior at Grant High School. Her goal is to be a plastic surgeon in reconstructive and Forecasts Call For Job Growth Service industry creates half of new jobs TheOregon Employment Department forecasts that the state will add 215,000 jobs in the next decade, increasing em ployment by 14 percent. While this is good news compared with the current economic situation, the gains are modest compared with gains during the prior decade, when the state added over300,000jobs and grew by 24 percent. Services industries are expected to account for almost hal f o f the state’s new jobs. Among the most rapidly growing services industries are health, business and private education services. Population growth is expected to boost employment across a wide range o f industries including construction, retail trade, finance, insurance, real es tate and government. Although O fig o n ’s manufacturing sector is expected to add nearly 12,000 jobs, employment in many key manu facturing industries, such as high tech nology and transportation equipment, is not expected to regain pre-recession employment levels. In addition, a number o f manufactur ing industries are expected to see job losses. Among these declining indus tries are several resource-based indus tries; lumber and wood products, food products, and paper products. The pri mary metals industry is expected to de cline due in part to increased energy prices, combined with low market prices and international competition. Produc tion o f many labor-intensive products, including apparel and textiles, is ex pected to continue to shift overseas. Regional forecasts suggest that job growth will vary from under 10 percent to more than 15 percent. EXPLORE STUDENT Equal Opportunity Employer DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO EARN THE GREEN BERET? 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She volunteers at Her interest in becoming an anesthe OHSU D oem becherChildren’s Hospi siologist was sparked at age 16 when tal and at Providence Medical Center. she was at OHSU with her mother who Another student has gone from be suffers from dementia. ing homeless to taking the first step “When I saw those nurses, doctors toward her dream o f becoming a physi and others walking around 1 knew right cian. then I wanted to be like those people. I "I grew up with homelessness,” said wanted to help people. 1 realized, oh my Laranda Lee, a student from a Transi gosh, I want to go to OHSU for school," tional Living Program in Medford. Lee said. role in the management of these natural resources. Visit our website: www.or.blm.gov/or953 i
