You didn't say whether or not the surveyed women were all employed. For the purpose of determining whether or not the current younger generation is worried long-term, it matters, as well as hearing what blue-collar workers are saying.
However, speaking as someone who lived through the late '70s and early '80s as a young professional, I'm not surprised. They know they've got a lot of time and a long career ahead of them. Most also probably feel that they control their destiny, which middle-aged workers who have seen a few layoffs during their careers probably don't feel.
As far as what women want these days, it's a bit more specific than when I was young, but pretty much along the lines of "not selling out" and being able to "do your own thing".
I’ve been posting about generational divides lately, and contested a viewpoint that today’s younger generations would be forever cowed by the recent recession. Now, a new survey out of Accenture points to one younger segment of the workforce that seems to be looking right past the gloomy headlines and are positive about their career prospects –”Millennial” women in the 22 to 35 age bracket.
The survey of 1,000 female professionals finds that while 59% said they were somewhat negatively affected by the recent downturn, optimism prevails. About 70% reported that they believe they will be successful, and one-third of these young female professionals said they believe they will reach the top of their professions.
Millennial women want work-life balance as part of that success as well. At least 94% believe they can achieve such balance, and say this is a critical management skill. When asked to list typical qualities of a successful female business leader, 70% cited “maintains work/life balance,” followed by flexibility (66%).
They cite medical benefits and flexible hours (reported by 63% and 50%, respectively) as drivers of professional success, more so than classes and training for professional advancement (37%).
Millennial women were divided on whether they would give up personal time for more money or money for more personal time, Accenture reports. Almost half (46%) said they would be willing to give up some of their salary if it meant spending more time on personal life, while slightly more than half (54%) said they would be willing to give up time spent on their personal life for more income.
A lot of barriers have come down for women in the workforce over the past two decades, but gender barriers remain, Accenture adds. According to respondents, ongoing gender obstacles include a corporate culture that favors men, general stereotypes/ preconceptions and sexism (reported by 28%, 26% and 22%, respectively).
