Pink-collar job is a term coined in the 1970s to indicate a job that is traditionally done by a woman. However, gender barriers have weakened and the distinction between so-called typically male and typically female roles is less defined today than it used to be. Nowadays, many occupations that were typically pink-collar are done by any gender, although some roles remain female-dominated due to client or customer preferences. Pink-collar jobs have always had lower pay rates than male-dominated occupations, and fewer opportunities for career progression.
The Evolution of Pink-Collar Jobs
The concept of pink-collar jobs originates during World War II when men went overseas en masse for military action and large numbers of women entered the workforce to take their place. With the end of conflict and the birth of the baby boomers, many women remained in domestic roles while others joined in the second-wave feminist activities of the 1960s, pressing for equal pay and opportunities in the workforce.
As more women completed college degrees and found employment, pink-collar careers multiplied, and gender division in the workplace was reinforced as women developed careers in caring professions such as teaching and nursing. Heightened awareness of professional disparities and greater access for women to equal-paying work has resulted in many roles that were previously male-dominated now being filled by women.
How Pink-Collar Jobs Evolved Since The 1940s
Between 1940 and 1945, as many as 5 million women took up jobs left vacant by men who had gone to war. 90% or more of the pink-collar activities of the time – such as nursing, midwifery, secretarial and domestic work – were done by women, who also dominated as clothing and tobacco manufacturers, teachers, and social workers. In more recent years, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that the top pink-collar jobs are mainly in the childcare and healthcare industries.
Burnout Crisis and Compounding Strain
The COVID-19 epidemic and subsequent economic crisis, galloping inflation and geopolitical unrest may have increased workplace strain and burnout in every sector, but pink-collar fields have been particularly hard-hit. Low pay, excessive workloads and chronic stress have caused many nurses, teachers and child-care providers to leave their jobs, while those remaining are working on the edge of burnout. To compound the difficulty, when burnout causes a worker to leave a job, the strain on remaining workers increases and with it the likelihood that they will also quit. Yet these pink-collar occupations are the very jobs that could sustain society and the economy for years to come.
Gender Shifts in Pink-Collar Jobs
The workforce is in a state of constant evolution with certain jobs becoming more or less female-dominated over recent decades. Two industries that were predominantly female during World War II – tobacco and textile manufacturing – have witnessed the largest decline in female workers, losing 45 and 25 percentage points respectively.
One of the most frequently cited examples of gender shift in pink-collar jobs is the nursing industry – in the 1940s, 98% of nurses were women, and although they still dominate today (89%), the number of men entering the profession continues to grow. This transformation is linked to increased demand for workers in the industry, less general belief that nursing is a job only for women, and proactive recruitment strategies by nursing schools to attract more male students.
Other pink-collar jobs, such as teachers, secretaries and domestic workers, have shifted very little in the last 80 years. Today, 70% of all teachers are women, compared to 74% in 1940.
On the other hand, some traditionally male-dominated roles have seen an important increase in the number of women entering the field, in some cases becoming predominantly female. In 1940 only 10% of real estate agents were women, while today that figure stands at around 60%. Other occupations that have seen significant increases in female workers include physicians and surgeons (from 5% to 41%) and lawyers (from 3% to 36%).
Why More Men Are Working in Pink-Collar Jobs
Several factors, including technology, globalization and reduction in trade union activity, have contributed to the disappearance of some traditionally male blue-collar jobs. Of the four industries in most rapid decline, three are male-dominated. On the other hand, of the four industries in most rapid growth, all four are female-dominated. The natural evolution of the workplace over the next decade, dictated by the demands of the evolving economy, will inevitably see an increasing number of male workers transferring to industries that are traditionally pink-collar.
