For the first time in American history, the balance of the workforce tipped toward women, who now hold a majority of the nation’s jobs, The Atlantic reported. The article “The End of Men” stated that women also dominate colleges and professional schools, with three women receiving a Bachelor of Arts this year for every two men.

Radhika Gajjala, director of American Culture Studies and former director of Women’s Studies at Bowling Green State U., said that one possible reason for this gender switch has to do with availability in the job market, as women are trained for much of the work currently available. Women occupy a majority of all but two of the 15 job categories projected to grow the most in the next decade, according to The Atlantic.

Of the job categories women dominate, many entail service positions such as nursing, home health assistance, child care and food preparation, said The Atlantic. The article attributed the success of women in these “nurturing professions” to “old stereotypes and habits,” leaving men less able to adapt.

Gajjala also said studies show that men, on average, are not doing as well academically as women for social reasons at the university level. According to the University website, female students have outnumbered male students for several years as both undergraduate and graduate students at the main campus and Firelands campus. As of fall 2009, women comprised 56.1 percent of the total student population at Bowling Green.

“It doesn’t mean anything negative for [male students],” Gajjala said. “I think it just means male students have to compete harder, work harder. The workplace environment is better for having men and women in it, so it doesn’t take opportunities away from men.”

Junior Jordan Delp said he is concerned about the added competitiveness, as he hopes to get into the exclusive field of criminal profiling, but ultimately doesn’t worry that gender will come into effect either way.

Gajjala said that although women are working harder and making progress in education and the workplace, they still have disadvantages in salary and advancement when compared with men. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women who were full-time wage and salary workers in 2009 had median weekly earnings of about 80 percent of the median for their male counterparts.

“The fact that more women are finding jobs, that’s definitely something to be encouraged by,” Gajjala said. “It’s just that we can’t sit back and say we’ve won the battle, we’re doing great, because getting a job alone doesn’t mean you rise up in the structure. We still have the glass ceiling, so I think young women getting out of college should be encouraged, but they should be very cautious. They can’t stop working harder.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also found women now hold 51.4 percent of managerial and professional jobs, up from 26.1 percent in 1980. And yet only 3 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, The Atlantic reported.

Gajjala said men still dominate the higher positions, setting rules. The influx of women in the job market, however, means that men need to learn how to work well with women as both colleagues and bosses, she said. Gajjala added that she felt the increase in women improves the work environment, promoting respect and encouraging cooperation. Many positive changes have already taken effect, she said, such as the creation of sexual harassment laws.

“It’s good to see that women are able to expand from their previous restrictions,” Delp said.

In 2006, researchers at Columbia Business School and the University of Maryland analyzed data on the top 1,500 U.S. companies from 1992 to 2006 to determine the relationship between firm performance and female participation in senior management, The Atlantic reported. Firms that had women in top positions performed better.

Sophomore Ashley Bokar said it is almost a reversal of rolls. A business major, she said she isn’t worried about her gender playing a factor when she graduates.

“As long as I prepare myself and work hard, I think I have a pretty good chance as a woman,” Bokar said.