A slow climb up the ladder

Although women are making gains, they still lag considerably behind men in compensation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In its latest compilation, BLS said the median weekly full-time and salary earnings for men was $618, while women received only $473. In the executive, administrative and managerial category, men received $967 vs. $652 for women. For butchers and meat cutters, the median was $428 for men, compared with $322 for women. In other classifications, the median for men driving trucks was $532 vs. $412 for women; for women cashiers it was $275, $21 less than the $296 for men; for sales supervisors it was $691 for men vs. $454 for women; and for buyers at the wholesale and retail levels it was $675 for men vs. $588 for women.

Supermarkets are about on a par with other industries in the number of women officers and directors, according to Catalyst, New York, a non-profit research and advisory organization designed to help professional women achieve maximum potential and help employers capitalize on the talents of their female employees.

On average, according to Catalyst, 11.9% of corporate officers in 1999 were women (only 11.2% in Fortune 500 companies), up from 8.7% in 1995. Women held 3.3% of top-earner spots in the 500 largest U.S. companies, compared with 1.2% in 1995. They represented 5.1% of those holding "clout" titles of executive vice president and higher, up from 2.4%.

Among other findings of the study, 79% of the 500 top companies had at least one woman corporate officer, 56% had more than one, and 27.5% of women corporate officers held line jobs vs. 50% of the men.

Women held slightly more than one in 10 board seats at Fortune 500 companies (11.1%) vs. 10.6% in 1997 and 10.2% in 1996. Of the Fortune 100 companies, 97% had at least one woman on their boards.

A survey of women holding titles of vice president and higher in Fortune 1000 companies revealed they were on average 45 years old, earning $248,000 a year in salary and bonus. Eighty-one percent were within two reporting levels of the CEO, and 44% reported either directly to the CEO or within one level.

While the supermarket industry did not stand out either positively or negatively on the number of its women officers, one company, Hannaford Bros., Scarborough, Maine, was above average. Catalyst said about 30% of Hannaford's corporate officers were women, 46% of its line officers and one of its top earners.