An Analysis of Gender Equity in the Federal Labor Relations Career Field

Abstract

Since the term was popularized in the 1980s, the “glass ceiling” has become a significant concept in the American workplace. The metaphor describes a reality in which women and minorities tend to be overrepresented at the lower levels of an organization, yet underrepresented at more senior levels. The research described in this paper shows the progress of women in the federal government's labor relations career field during the 1990s. Using government employment statistics from throughout the 1990s, the article shows that women in labor relations have made significant progress toward equity in both salary and level of management. At the same time, the data presented show that there remains substantial room for continued improvement.