In Cosmopolitan.com’s recent “10 things Women do Better than Men List” – just the tip of the iceberg, I assume – a few surprising points stood out among the rest.
It turns out that, according to Cosmo, the fairer sex is more financially secure. A few of the list’s findings:
4. We’re more recession proof.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that of the six million Americans who have lost jobs since December of 2007, when the recession started, 80 percent of them have been men.
There are several factors to this startling statistic, one of them being the fact that the economic downturn has taken a major toll on male-dominated businesses such as construction and manufacturing. Strong fields among women such as nursing and education have persevered much better.
Author Catherine Kaputa, who wrote “The Female Brand: Using the Female Mindset to Succeed in Business,” claims it’s not just a difference in profession but a difference in management style helping women survive company cutbacks. She writes, “In general, women are most comfortable with a management style that is more collaborative and less concerned with rigid hierarchy and top-down directives,” she told CNN Money. “As it happens, that more inclusive, collegial style is what gets results in global companies today.”
5. We graduate college more often.
Cosmo points out college enrollment rates for women have been higher than those for men for decades, but it seems women continue to out perform men once they get to campus.
"Department of Education statistics show that men, whatever their race or socioeconomic group, are less likely than women to get bachelor’s degrees — and among those who do, fewer complete their degrees in four or five years," the New York Times reported. "Men also get worse grades than women."
While women are certainly breaking academic stereotypes and buffing up on intellectual intensity, the reasons behind this trend may have more to do with race than gender, the article said.
"In recent years, the gender gap has been widening, especially among low-income whites and Hispanics," the Times reported. "When it comes to earning bachelor’s degrees, the gender gap is smaller than the gap between whites and blacks or Hispanics, federal data shows."
9. We’re better managers, especially in this economy.
Multitasking is simply second nature to most women I know. Juggling 20 tasks and seeing things through from start to finish makes women stand out in the workplace, according to the New York Daily News.
"It’s a very service-oriented economy, so you need employees to be motivated and excited about what they do," says Jay Forte, author of “Fire Up! Your Employees and Smoke Your Competition." Forte also says women’s emotional sensibilities come in handy.
"Women are stronger communicators and better connectors than men, and they’re more astute about knowing how to activate passion in their employees. When workers feel connected and positive, they perform better."
10. We invest better.
Last on Cosmo’s list was a surprising statistic to those used to the image a stock room floor full of invigorated, screaming men. Though fewer women than men are investing, they are making more for their money.
The UK’s MSN Money reported women embody the traits of good investors because they "tend to be more cautious, less confident of their ability, less likely to follow investment fads and have a longer-term approach to investing."
MSN cites several examples of studies showing females’ portfolios outperforming men’s, including a study from May 2004 to May 2005 showing women’s investments averaging an 18 percent return, while men averaged 11 percent.
In a volatile market where cooler heads have prevailed, men’s tendencies to chase hot trends in stock markets have made them more vulnerable to fluctuations than their steady-handed counterparts. This trend might get weaker as more and more women, providing more variety among them, enter the financial world.
Alexis Matsui is a Senior Associate, Client Services at The Bivings Group, which designed and helps manage TheWomensFoundation.org on a pro bono basis.