Celebrating Progress, Confronting Barriers, and Building a More Inclusive Tomorrow
By Eddy Del Rio
As we look around today’s workforce, it’s clear that women are not just participating—they’re leading, innovating, and reshaping the modern workplace. In 2024, nearly half of the world’s working-age women are in the labor market (ILO), and in the United States, women now make up more than half of the college-educated workforce (U.S. Census Bureau).
At Employment & Training Centers (ETC)—a Latina-owned, family-operated staffing firm founded in 1986—these numbers reflect a story we’ve lived for decades: one of perseverance, progress, and purpose.
Trends & Progress
1. A Look Back—and Forward – Over the past forty years, we’ve witnessed a powerful evolution. Women have pushed through doors once closed to them. From boardrooms to construction sites, classrooms to corner offices. But the COVID-19 pandemic reminded us how fragile progress can be. In 2020, women accounted for 55% of all U.S. job losses, despite making up just 47% of the workforce (National Women’s Law Center). Many stepped back to care for loved ones, putting hard-won gains at risk.
Fortunately, the recovery is underway: by 2023, female labor force participation in the U.S. had nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels (BLS)—a strong sign of resilience.
2. Shifts in Where and How Women Lead – Across industries, women continue to advance. In STEM, women now hold 28% of science and engineering jobs (NSF, 2023), a number that’s steadily growing through increased access and advocacy. In senior management, women now fill 35% of roles globally (Grant Thornton, 2023), with more rising to lead Fortune 500 companies.
But it’s not just where women lead, it’s how they lead that makes an impact. Studies show that companies with more women in leadership roles tend to outperform their peers. McKinsey & Company (2020) found that organizations in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to achieve above-average profitability. These gains are driven by diverse perspectives, collaborative leadership styles, and long-term decision-making.
3. Barriers That Still Need Breaking – Despite undeniable progress, gender disparities remain. Women still earn, on average, 84 cents for every dollar earned by men (World Economic Forum), and women of color face even wider gaps. While entry-level representation is nearing parity, just one in four C-suite leaders is a woman (McKinsey, 2023).
These aren’t just issues of fairness, they represent untapped potential, lost innovation, and avoidable turnover across industries.
At ETC, we’ve built our business on the belief that when we elevate women, we elevate entire communities. From the start, we’ve prioritized inclusive hiring, supported women’s career advancement, and delivered culturally relevant staffing solutions that meet the unique needs of our clients.
Our mission has always been people first, but that also means being results-driven. We don’t just help women find jobs, we help them build careers that support their families, grow their confidence, and strengthen their communities. And for the clients we serve, that translates to real business impact: better retention, deeper engagement, and stronger organizational performance.
We see firsthand what research confirms, diverse teams, especially those with women in leadership, consistently deliver better outcomes. At ETC, we’re proud to be part of that solution, helping our partners build workforces that are not only inclusive, but also equipped to lead in today’s complex, fast-changing economy.
