5 Growing Industries for Women

Women workers in the U.S. are making their move. The Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor reports that women account for 47 percent of the total U.S. labor force, and they are the driving force behind a projected 51 percent increase in workforce growth between 2008 and 2018.

From work-at-home moms to women in the boardroom, female leaders are redefining America’s workplace and improving the economy in the process.

Take a look at five industries to watch when it comes to women surging ahead:

STEM.

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs are predominantly held by men but that landscape is slowly shifting. Companies like Google and Apple have implemented stronger recruitment and hiring policies for women and minorities in order to create a more diverse STEM workforce that can better approach world issues. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that some of the fastest growing jobs in 2016 include network systems and data communications analysts, computer software engineers, and database administrators.

Fossil Fuels.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists “Oil drilling and gas extraction” as a rapidly growing industry, especially for women. Revenue growth topped 12.8 percent in 2013 and female employees grew 11.6 percent from 2009 to 2013. As more women are seeking higher education and embracing science and technology fields, the fossil fuel industry is benefiting from their expertise – and women are seeing the financial boost, as the industry average wage is $131,800.

Optometry.

It seems that every area of healthcare is booming with more jobs as people are living longer and medical technology is improving. Optometry is seeing even higher growth than the rest of the industry, particularly when it comes to female employees. Between 2009 and 2013, the number of women employees in optometry increased nearly 10 percent, compared with just 3 percent revenue growth. From the doctors themselves to optometry assistants and medical technicians, the field is full of opportunities for women and hiring qualified females to fill open positions.

Entrepreneurship.

The National Women’s Business Council recently reported that female-helmed businesses are growing at a rate of 1,140 per day in the U.S. The report also found that women-owned businesses are growing 2.5 faster than the national average, and employment at those businesses is growing 4.5 times faster. Whether running an Etsy shop from home or a million-dollar startup, women entrepreneurs are blazing trails and answering to themselves in the process.

Every industry on this list is cultivating a better workplace for women in all lines of work – and strengthening the economic bottom line for everyone.