ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the nature of women's employment. It presents an overview of how many women work, what kinds of jobs they have, the challenges they face in job advancement and becoming leaders, the salaries they receive, and their job satisfaction. The chapter then focuses on the status of older women workers and considers procedures and policies that can improve the work environment for women. The chapter discusses retirement and economic issues facing older women. One factor that influences evaluation of job applicants is the gender dominance of the occupations, with neither sex favored for female-dominated jobs but males favored for male-dominated jobs. Moreover, gender discrimination in hiring is most likely to occur when little information is provided about the candidate's qualifications. Recent research shows that women's more transformational style and greater use of rewards for good performance are linked to higher ratings of leadership effectiveness.
