Kane Insights 2021
The State of Working Women in Wisconsin
What employers need to know:
The State of Working Women
in Wisconsin
We surveyed nearly 1,000 women across the state of Wisconsin to find out about the challenges facing working women, coupled with actions that companies can take to improve these figures.
This report represents the first detailed study ever conducted of Wisconsin working women, assessing their current feelings of wellbeing, support and satisfaction with their jobs and wider industries, including their levels of stress and what they need to make work, work for them. The report features findings across all demographic groups, along with special features on:
Stress and Mental Health
Working Mothers
Women of Color
Gen Z
Connecting to Purpose
Wisconsin Industries
“The statistics revealed in the Kane Insights research validate that there is still work to be done.
9to5’s own data underscores one of the Kane Insights findings: a big reason why working women in Wisconsin are considering quitting is lack of support from employers regarding equitable and affordable childcare and paid family and medical leave.”
CHRISTINA THOR, WISCONSIN STATE DIRECTOR OF 9TO5
No one anticipated how significantly the COVID-19 pandemic would impact women.
During the pandemic, more than 2.5 million women dropped out of the labor force, and, as employers scramble to rebuild their teams, women are returning to the workplace more slowly than their male counterparts.
What does this mean for employers in Wisconsin?
Our study shows that the experience of women in Wisconsin doesn’t simply mirror what’s happening across the county - it’s more pronounced. Our research reveals a startling statistic: 50% of Wisconsin’s working women consider quitting work constantly, often or sometimes. This is 25% higher than the national average, as reported in McKinsey's 2021 Women in the Workplace report. The number of Wisconsin women considering quitting rises even higher – to 60% – for those working in the retail, foodservice and hospitality industries.
The primary reason Wisconsin’s working women consider quitting? They feel undervalued in their current role.
The good news is, with intentional action, Wisconsin employers can do more to retain women workers — a necessity for business success.
Schedule a consultation with us to discuss how your company can use these findings to recruit and retain Wisconsin women workers.
Webinar
Behind the Scenes of an Employer of Choice.
We spoke with women who work for companies heralded as a "best place to work," "top workplace" or with lower-than-average turnover rates. In this webinar, we find out how are they doing it! What happens in their workplaces that you might be able to emulate in your own?
About the Data
Kane Insights 2021: The State of Working Women in Wisconsin represents the first detailed study ever conducted of Wisconsin working women, assessing their current feelings of wellbeing, support and satisfaction with their jobs and wider industries, including their levels of stress and what they need to make work, work for them.
The analysis of working women in Wisconsin was developed by Kane and conducted via a telephone and text messaging survey by Santiago Global Consulting, who collected and analyzed data from a random sample of 980 Wisconsin working women to obtain quantitative data regarding their current attitudes towards their work and employers. The data collected has a margin of error of +/-3.1 percent with a 95 percent confidence interval.
Who We Surveyed
We surveyed Wisconsin women about their working lives, exploring their experiences particularly over the last year and a half of the pandemic. Our survey sample of 980 women represented the demographic makeup of the state.
In addition to the quantitative research, Kane Communications Group also held several listening sessions with more than two dozen Wisconsin working women to share the results of the study and get the input of these women on what employers can do to attract and retain their female employees, particularly working mothers, women of color and Gen Z women, as well as identify ways to reduce stress, increase mental health support and enhance the sense of being valued for all working women.The recommendations you see in our report were developed in partnership with these women.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the nearly 1,000 working women across Wisconsin who participated in our survey and tens of women leaders who took time to participate in discussion groups, interviews and brainstorms to discuss the findings and develop the recommendations you will find in this report. We thank you for your participation, honesty and ideas.
We appreciate the continued support of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC); Milwaukee Women Inc.; 9to5; Women's Leadership Collaborative, TEMPO Milwaukee and Rotary Club of Milwaukee, Inc. for convening members to participate in our workgroups and support in report distribution to members.
We would like to thank Santiago Global Consulting for their help in conducting the surveys for this study.