A study conducted by financial services company Edward Jones revealed that two out of three Americans believe that the glass ceiling exists and women in the workforce face a real barrier to career advancement.
The financial services industry was named by the most survey respondents as the industry with the hardest glass ceiling for women to overcome, followed by technology, and media and publishing.
Taking a closer look at the data, Edward Jones reports that 67% of men and women who participated in the study believe that women are more ambitious than men when it comes to rising to leadership positions in the workplace. Respondents cited the following factors as the biggest contributors to the glass ceiling:
- 83% – male-dominated environments in the workplace create barriers that impede these “ambitious women” from advancing.
- 73% – the juggle of family and work responsibilities
- 62% – inadequate policies for women in the workplace (e.g., stringent maternity leave policies)
- 56% – lack of adequate mentoring or a defined career path in reaching the executive board level
Do you agree with the survey respondents? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
You can read more details about the survey results, methodologies, and findings by following the link to the full press release above.
