Per the study, bias against women in traditionally male dominated jobs (construction, airline pilot, etc) has dropped, but bias against men in traditionally female dominated jobs (nursing, K-12 teaching, etc) has remained constant.
Forecasters correctly anticipated reductions in discrimination against female candidates over time. However, both scientists and laypeople overestimated the continuation of bias against female candidates. Instead, selection bias in favor of male over female candidates was eliminated and, if anything, slightly reversed in sign starting in 2009 for mixed-gender and male-stereotypical jobs in our sample. Forecasters further failed to anticipate that discrimination against male candidates for stereotypically female jobs would remain stable across the decades.
Here is a copy of the press release which provides an easier to read summary of the paper: Anti-women bias in job application outcomes has declined over time, but anti-male bias remains stable (msn.com)
We have gender-specific programs to encourage women go into “STEM” (usually meaning tech/computers/IT/some fields of engineering[1]) – but we have no such programs encouraging men to go into teaching, nursing, veterinary medicine, physical therapy practitioners and numerous other careers that are female dominated. One of my own daughters participated in a “girls only” STEM program in high school; there were no “boys only” programs. She now has degrees in geology, geochemistry, microbiology, genetics and cell biology (really – all those degrees).
Study Conclusion
The present meta-analysis finds that discrimination against female applicants for jobs historically held by men has declined significantly and is no longer observable in the last decade. In contrast, bias against male applicants for female-typed jobs has remained robust and stable over the years. These results thus demonstrate both welcome declines in and the stubborn persistence of different forms of gender discrimination. Contrary to the beliefs of laypeople and academics revealed in our forecasting survey, after years of widespread gender bias in so many aspects of professional life, at least some societies have clearly moved closer to equal treatment when it comes to applying for many jobs.
[1] When all STEM categories are included, slightly more women graduate with degrees in STEM subjects, than do men, per NSF data.
Update: Public sentiment on the issue has also evolved: Gen Z Believes Men Are Being Discriminated Against More Than Boomers
