Imagine trying to live without balance.
It would be nearly impossible to do some of the most basic tasks such as carrying a glass full of water or even walking. We recognize that balance is a key, if often overlooked, aspect of life and we’d argue the same can be said about gender balance in the workforce.
That may be why “balance” is the focus for this year’s International Women’s Day under the hashtag of “balance for better”. It is an initiative to put this usually forgotten—but crucial—aspect into focus. But here at DWS, “balance for better” isn’t just a hashtag; we are trying to do more as part of our own “Striving to do Better” initiative.
A number of local events are planned to build on our commitment to increasing gender diversity. For instance, our Chicago office is hosting a Women of Wall Street Chicago discussion. Using a TED-talk style format, a panel and attendees will spark a robust dialogue exploring how workforce diversity isn’t just the right thing to do, but it’s also important to the bottom line
This may be especially the case when you consider that, for many businesses, the competition for the best talent is heating up. Recent data shows women in the workforce are an overwhelming boost to our record recovery since the Great Recession. Since 2008, women have paced the decade long job market recovery. Across all ages, but particularly among prime-age workers, females have led the resurgence in U.S. labor force participation.
Note: Seasonally adjusted
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics