And women still have poorer access to good jobs than men. A majority of women have entered the work force, but many habits, policies, and institutions remain the same from the era when women were expected to be lifelong housewives. Employment discrimination, still subtlely seen today, is a remnant of the time when it was considered good policy to reserve as many jobs as possible for men because they were thought to have legitimate need for wages. Women holding traditionally female jobs get less pay than men holding traditionally male jobs requiring lower levels of skill, knowledge, and mental capacity. One main reason for this sex segregation of jobs is that work places are part business and part social interaction.
Some male workers create tension when they are asked to work along with or take orders from women.
Many employers dislike the loss in productivity that comes from this type of interaction, so many employers decide to keep certain job off-limits to women. Some employers also have preconceived notions about what women can and cannot do well. Conservative economists do not believe discrimination is an important cause of sex segregation on the job. They say that employers fill certain jobs with men because there are no women applicants. There is no shortage of women to fill jobs that carry a better chance for promotion.