UWLP Blog - Career

Researchers conducted a study to establish a baseline of public perceptions about the awareness, understanding, and attitudes around challenges Utah women and girls face. This summary includes poverty & homelessness, workforce, and home & family.

Read our blog or watch the full recording of our second Fall Women’s Leadership Forum about sexism in Utah.

This research analyzes the best practices of the 2023 100 Companies Championing Women in Utah.

This research highlights that Utah women experience elements of gender bias in the workplace that are not perceived to the same degree by Utah men.

Did you miss this Spring Women's Leadership Forum? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

Did you miss this Spring Women's Leadership Forum? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

Did you miss this Spring Workshop? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

Did you miss this Spring Women's Leadership Forum event? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

Did you miss this Spring Women's Leadership Forum event? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

Did you miss this Women's Leadership Forum event? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

This snapshot summarizes the gender wage gap in Utah, which is the difference between what women and men earn for performing full-time, year-round paid work. Closing the gap will strengthen economic stability and prosperity for families, communities, and the state.

This research and policy brief sheds light on some of the nonwork-related effects of COVID-19 on women in Utah’s labor force, particularly those with children in the home. Learn about how COVID-19 has had an impact on childcare and homeschooling.

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–2021 has impacted every Utahn in significant ways. Yet, research has found that women have been even more negatively impacted than men. For example, nearly 3 million American women have left the labor force over the past year and not returned.

This brief provides an update for 2021, focused only on the higher education portion of the previous related briefs. The purpose of this brief is to determine what, if any, progress has been made in women’s leadership within Utah’s higher education sector.

National and global reports have argued that women's employment and careers have been disproportionately impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn about how this has impacted the women of Utah.

The COVID-19 pandemic that reached Utah in March of 2020 has had an enormous impact on the way companies do business. Many companies adjusted work practices and policies in other ways to support their employees during a challenging time.

On November 11th, the Utah Women & Leadership Project held a Women’s Leadership Forum event entitled “Feeling Like a Fraud: Navigating Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome as Women.” Read the recap here

When both men and women work together in leadership roles, organizations thrive. This holds true for government—and democratic governance processes in general—and it supports the call to reflect gender diversity at all levels.

On August 18th, the Utah Women & Leadership Project held its first Women’s Leadership Forum of the academic year called “The Gender Wage Gap: Digging Deep into Understanding The Complexity.” This event was a panel discussion focused on understanding the wage gap issues in Utah.

How does Utah fare in comparison to the rest of the nation? Utah is home to 287,803 small businesses that have 572,888 employees—46.2% of Utah’s workforce. In 2016, Utah was ranked 8th for women-owned businesses, 11th in growth by number of firms, 4th in growth by revenue, and 30th in growth by employment.

Though the role of a journalist is to report about the world objectively, the very nature of public media puts these professionals in a visible and trusted position. In choosing which stories to tell and how to tell them, reporters and producers naturally influence attitudes and beliefs. Media professionals can positively impact women and girls in the broader culture.

In September of 2019, the Utah Women and Leadership Project along with the YWCA of Utah brought a group of financial experts together to identify current resources/strengths, challenges, and potential interventions that would help Utah women financially. What follows are their recommendations organized by category.

Well-informed health care providers are uniquely positioned to support and strengthen girls and women over a lifetime. This discussion focused on how practitioners can influence through providing quality patient care, serving as visible role models, educating their communities, mentoring, and advocating broadly to promote women’s wellbeing.

Utah fathers recognize the strong influence local culture can have on the way their daughters develop their sense of self. The state’s distinct environment, with its own set of social norms, can affect girls and young women in both positive and negative ways. Fathers can work to support their daughters’ efforts to navigate cultural influences.

Although Utah research has shown that there has been slight progress in terms of women and leadership in some sectors, national sources continue to rank Utah as one of the worst states for women’s equality. Clearly there is still work to be done to “move the needle” so that more Utah women become leaders.

This idea sheet is based on a 2018 gathering of 65 leaders of women’s networks, groups, and organizations in Utah in many arenas. It provides an overview of opportunities to influence cultural attitudes in ways that are relevant in all settings, followed by specific ideas and solutions to advance and empower women and girls in more distinct environments.

Understanding that male engagement is critical in reducing workplace gender imbalances, these suggestions focus on what men can do in professional settings to create awareness, rethink systems, build capacity (in both women and men), foster developmental relationships, and advocate for necessary cultural change.

In September of 2018, the Utah Women and Leadership Project along with the YWCA of Utah brought a group of experts together to identify current resources/strengths, challenges, and potential interventions that would help Utah women become entrepreneurs and business owners. What follows are their recommendations organized by category.

In 2014, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) released a research and policy brief titled “The Status of Women Leaders in Utah Business.” The document was one of four released in 2014 that focused on understanding the status of women’s leadership in politics, education, nonprofits, and business.

Utah is full of engaged, passionate individuals who frequently ask the question, “What can I personally and/or professionally do to strengthen the impact of Utah girls and women?” To provide specific answers to that question, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) team hosted a series of “think tank” gatherings to collect best practices.

Many factors contribute to the gender disparity in the amount of time men and women spend doing unpaid care work. Countries where traditional gender norms are still deeply entrenched, including many developing nations, have some of the highest differences in the amount of unpaid care work performed by women and men.

In October of 2017, the Utah Women and Leadership Project along with the YWCA of Utah brought a group of experts together to identify current resources/strengths, challenges, and potential interventions that would help Utah caregivers. What follows are their recommendations organized by category.

In 2016, American women earned approximately 20% less than men. Compared to White men, White women earn 75.3%, Black women earn 63.3%, Native American women earn 57.7%, and Hispanic/Latina women earn 54.4%. These numbers are comparing median earnings of full time, year-round work between men and women.

In 2016, American women earned approximately 20% less than men. 1 This gap has narrowed substantially since 1963, when the Equal Pay Act was passed and women earned 41% less than men; 2 yet a gap persists, and a half century later women are still paid less than men in almost every occupation.

In June of 2017, the Utah Women and Leadership Project along with the YWCA of Utah brought a group of experts together to identify current resources/strengths, challenges, and potential interventions that would help the gender wage gap in Utah. What follows are their recommendations organized by category.

Do you want this year to be different? Are you looking to get your first, or your next, big promotion? You’re not alone. Research showed that, while men and women wanted to be promoted in equal numbers, women were far less likely to move forward in their organization.

I have heard many law students describe their decision to come to law school as a “calling,” and because when you choose to follow a path you also choose its destination, a “calling” to the law as well. Students’ stories of this “call” illustrate a spiritual impetus that moved them here with a hunger to acquire legal skills.

In December of 2016, the Utah Women and Leadership Project along with the YWCA of Utah brought a group of experts together to identify current resources/strengths, challenges, and potential interventions that would help Utah increase women's participation in the labor force. What follows are their recommendations organized by category.

Over the last 50 years the presence of Utah women in the labor force has slowly increased at about 8% per year. Utah women are unique in that they are less likely to full time, year round. Many factors contribute to this including marital status, and family status. More than 40% of Utah women work in just two occupational groups.

Utah has improved its national ranking for individuals in science and engineering occupations as a percentage of all occupations: from 19th in 2013 to 13th in 2014.5 Yet, Utah women are not necessarily part of this growth, as they lag behind men in STEM participation.

Over the past half-century or so, Utah women’s participation in the labor force has steadily increased at a rate of about 8% per decade. According to the most recent (2015) U.S. Census Bureau estimates, women in Utah make up 43.9% of the state workforce, which is slightly lower than the national workforce.

Overall, women in Utah live in poverty at a lower rate than the national average: Utah women (12.2%) vs. U.S. women (16%), and census data for 2015 ranks Utah 12th in the nation for the percentage of people living above the poverty line. The poverty rates are notably worse for certain groups.

A cover letter is your opportunity to show what you know about the job and to demonstrate why you’re the best fit. The cover letter lets you express your personality, passion, and goals – where your resume focuses on your skills and qualifications. A brief and well-written cover letter also demonstrates your ability to write and communicate.

There are some days when the weight of my responsibilities and my physical limitations are poignant. It’s almost enough to make you crazy to think that you can’t just jump in a car and go wherever you want to go—that you have to get a ride with someone or pay for a taxi.

What makes being a woman business owner different? Utah women are unique in both how effective they are at starting and operating businesses, but also the reasons behind why and what they sell. What is truly amazing is how women in Utah are starting businesses 5 times faster than the national average.

Sometimes a degree is only viewed as a stepping-stone to a lucrative career, but maybe that’s part of the problem with the gender and education gap. If a college education is only viewed as a prereq to that nice salary position, those who don’t see themselves in the breadwinner role or the white-collar job.

While cold calling or emailing your resume may work, it really is best if you are able to network with your interviewer. Do you know someone who might know your interviewer? Have them introduce you or put in a good word for you. Networking is everything, but it’s become this overwhelming buzzword.

Her original career aspiration was to become a biology teacher; but just prior to going to college, a seed was planted that would grow and blossom many years later in a way that she didn’t expect. When she was a student at Highland High School in Pocatello, Idaho, the football team pulled a prank on rivals.

As a result of my egalitarian upbringing, it had never occurred to me that I could not have both a family and a career (after all, my mom did). I was seventeen before I encountered a certain idea typically prevalent within my faith culture: that good, worthy motherhood was only of the full-time stay-at-home variety.

Trying to choose between career paths or majors? Are you having trouble deciding between many interesting and appealing work settings? Are you looking for a rewarding, respected field where you can be a professional and still desire flexibility for your family? Perhaps you are looking for a profession with great pay.

Is Utah a good place for women to start and run businesses? You may be misled if you rely on what the media has been reporting the past few years about women in Utah. A host of state rankings has continually put Utah as one of the worst states in the nation for women.

When I was just a young kid, I remember expressing to anyone that would listen what I wanted to be when I grew up. Every time I told a new listener what I wanted to be, I added preposterous new desires to my list of possible careers. Even after I graduated, I still had no idea what I want to do as a career...

Research demonstrates there are a host of benefits and strengths that accompany having women in management and leadership roles. But it’s not unusual in Utah or beyond for managers and top leadership teams to not fully realize the value of having women in key positions, not as the only leaders.

In September 2013, the Center for American Progress released a report titled “The State of Women in America: A 50- State Analysis of How Women Are Faring Across the Nation.” This report ranks Utah last of all 50 states in terms of women being in positions of decision making and leadership.

Utah leaders have set a goal of having 66% of the state’s adults earn postsecondary degrees or vocational certificates by the year 2020. The goal is based on data from Georgetown University projecting that to remain competitive, Utah’s economy will need 66% of its population to have some form of postsecondary education by 2018.

Utah’s tech jobs pay 57% more than the state’s average wage, and the top 10 bachelor-degree majors with the highest median earnings are all in STEM fields. Dr. Cheryl Hanewicz, technology management department chair at UVU says, “There are not a lot of women in the fields, but these are the high-paying fields.”