Women in the Lehigh Valley Economy

For much of our country’s history, women have been seen as inferior to men.  The men were seen as the breadwinners of their families, while the women were left to care for their children and tend to the house.

However, it is obvious that times have changed.  Women have risen to the status of men in the business world, and their power continues to grow.  The women of the Lehigh Valley exemplify this.

When examining the Bethlehem area, it is clear there are a large number of businesses operated and managed by women.  Since 2007, at least eight new businesses have been opened by women in the area.  These businesses include Loose Threads Boutique, Shuze, and Hello Burrito.

Women have a ton of opportunities to find work in the Lehigh Valley.  Tiffany, an employee at Apotheca Salon and Boutique on Third Street, agrees.

“It wasn’t that hard for me to find employment in the Lehigh Valley,” she said.  “I feel like hair and cosmetology is something that always has an opening position.”

However, she does not deny that there may be a bit more opportunities for men in other areas.  “I feel like maybe in other industries men get paid more.”

Nevertheless, Tiffany does not witness any discrimination towards women or men in Apotheca.  “We have male employees and we interview males,” she said.  “Here, there’s no discrimination against anybody.”

Though she does acknowledge some inequality in the workforce, Tiffany also feels like motivation and effort, not gender, is what really allows people to succeed. “If you can’t get a job I think it’s pretty much because you’re not trying hard enough,” she said.

Just down the street is another female entrepreneur at Cleo’s Silversmith Studio.  Chelsea, a resident of the Lehigh Valley, inherited the business from her mother. 

Chelsea definitely recognizes inequality in the workforce between men and women.  “I think it’s harder for women everywhere,” she said.  “I know more men who I graduated high school with that have jobs now than women even though both have degrees.”

There is an organization called Office of Minority and Women-Owned Businesses (OMWOB) located in the Lehigh Valley that helps support women and minorities with employment in the area. This group strives to do things such as help with business planning, and promote and support entrepreneurship companies started by females and minority community members.

Statistics for Bethlehem, PA show that the most common industries that Bethlehem females work in are Health Care at 18%, Educational Services at 17%, and Accommodation and Food Services at 8%. The most common occupations for Bethlehem women are Office and Administrative Support Workers at 7%, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants at 6%, and Teachers and Cleaning/Maintenance at 4%.

According to the census taken in 2010, Bethlehem had 74,982 residents. Of those residents, 12.8% of households had a female householder with no husband present. There were also 100 females per every 91.5 males in Bethlehem.

It is a stereotype nationwide that men are more likely to receive job offers than women, and when they are employed men are categorized as receiving more money as a salary then women. From talking to several women in the Bethlehem area, we have gathered that they are more optimistic about employment opportunities locally compared to the national stereotype. Yet, they also have their doubts due to their individual experiences, which means that this opinion could differ depending on who you ask individually.

Tiffany from Apotheca Salon and Spa had a personal opinion on the topic of female stereotypes in the workplace, because she is in the cosmetology field. She feels that there are always opportunities for employment in this area, because you need a specific skill in order to have the position, which is also typically female-dominated.

Chelsea from Cleo’s Silversmith Studio also had a unique situation in terms of her view of stereotypes for hiring in the area. Since she was hired by her mother, who started the company, she naturally didn’t have trouble finding employment. Yet, she touched more on the specific issue of men who come into the store to shop. These customers are sometimes snooty and feel that a young girl’s opinion is not any better than their own, or that it is valued less than if the advice came from a male employee. Under these circumstances internally in a company, Chelsea admitted that she definitely sees a divide between males and females in the workplace.