CNN "Women Nearly 50% of the Workforce"

CNN: Focusing On Your Job Search in a Down Economy

Women & The Workforce

Woman Business Enterprise Certification

I am so proud to announce today that firstPRO Staffing and Executive Search has been certified as a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) by the City of Philadelphia. This certification is being offered through reciprocity due to firstPRO’s certification through from the City of Atlanta’s Equal Business Opportunity program.

With this certification, we look forward to working with the City of Philadelphia on projects that will encourage more growth for the city. As a Woman Business Enterprise, we will be able to take part in creating new proposals and offering our expertise whenever we can. Our goal is to continue building and expanding this prosperous city.

This certification also allows firstPRO to be counted towards the WBE contracting ranges for projects administered by the City of Philadelphia. This means we will be able to participate as a subcontractor/sub-consultant on City of Philadelphia competitive bids or proposal projects as a WBE. We will also be placed in the Office of Economic Opportunity’s (OEO) Directory of certified firms in order to assist City departments, agencies and prime contractors solicit WBE participation.

Women in the Workforce on CNN

Today, I had the privilege of appearing live on CNN in a segment called “Women in the Workforce.” The interview offered insights into the shifting dynamics of the economy and why more women are making their way into the workforce.

We’re calling it a “man” cession in that 82 percent of people who have been laid off are men. For the first time women are poised to take over 50 percent of the workforce. The industries that we are employed in are not the industries that have been hit the hardest.

With that said, I believe that now is the time for men and women to reposition themselves for future hiring trends. I predict that manufacturing and construction are the industries that will see a major shift in how jobs are done, and IT as the area where people need to reeducate themselves.

As men are being laid off, companies are using this as an opportunity to get a more diverse management base. There is talk of a new female economy because we control so much of the consumer dollar. Women are going to be a valuable force because we are making the decisions, financial and otherwise. So get ready, ladies. Now is the time to make this "man" cession an opportunity for us!