According to experts, a diverse workforce is crucial for creativity and social justice and equally good for a company's bottom line but reluctance to hire transgender workers remains high.

A study by the University of Southern California-Los Angeles showed the majority of nonbinary adults in the workforce are under age 35 and make less than $50,000 dollars a year.

Toni Newman, board chair of the group TransCanWork, cited research showing diversity in the workplace helps everyone thrive.

"Different ethnic backgrounds, different gender, different race," Newman outlined. "Diverse teams often outperform homogenous ones, as they can leverage a broader range of experience and skills."

The latest U.S. Transgender Survey showed 16% of Arkansans who responded said they lost a job because of their gender and 21% of those working reported being verbally harassed or physically attacked.

Transgender individuals can face a variety of workplace challenges affecting their career trajectory. Newman pointed out they often miss out on jobs with higher pay or higher responsibility and are instead offered introductory positions.

"At the entry level, as a coordinator, an assistant, associate," Newman explained. "But at the director level or above, the percentages get really, really, really, really small."

Nearly 1 million trans adults are eligible to vote in next month's election but at least 200,000 in more conservative states could face obstacles if their identification documents do not match their gender.


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Experts say a diverse workforce is crucial for creativity and social justice, and equally good for a company's bottom line. But reluctance to hire transgender workers remains high.

A study by UCLA showed the majority of nonbinary adults in the workforce are younger than age 35 and make less than $50,000 a year.

Toni Newman, board chair for the group Trans Can Work, cited research that shows diversity in the workplace helps everyone thrive.

"Different ethnic backgrounds, different gender, different race - diverse teams often outperform homogenous ones," Newman said, "as they can leverage a broader range of experience and skills."

Seventeen out of 50 states still maintain laws and policies that discriminate against transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in the workplace. Those laws exist despite the Supreme Court's extension of federal protections to LGBTQ+ employees and Congress' passage of the 2021 Equality Act.

In recent years, New Mexico has advanced LGBTQ+ rights, including a law that removed loopholes allowing discrimination at the local government level.

Transgender individuals can face a variety of workplace challenges that impact their career trajectory. Newman said they often miss out on jobs that pay more or come with more responsibility - and are instead offered introductory positions.

"At the entry level - as a coordinator, an assistant, associate - but at the director level or above," Newman said, "the percentages get really, really, really, really small."

Sixty percent of transgender and nonbinary employees have reported discrimination or harassment in the workplace. When it comes to voting, nearly one-million trans adults are eligible to vote in next month's election, but at least 200,000 in more conservative states could face obstacles if their identification documents do not match their gender.

A new report highlighted girls in Indiana face higher rates of bullying and sexual dating violence compared to boys.

The 2024 Indiana Girl Report, produced by the Indiana Youth Institute, Girl Coalition of Indiana and Girl Scouts, emphasized the need for better mental health support and violence prevention in communities.

Tami Silverman, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute, said the report helps Hoosiers better understand all girls' experiences.

"It's good to say, 'this is what I know about those girls closest to me and how is that similar to or different from the experiences girls in other parts of our state are having,'" Silverman explained. "That's why the data is great because it really checks our own biases."

While girls in the state excel academically, particularly in reading, they also experience significant challenges. Nearly 17% of high school girls reported experiencing sexual dating violence and many struggle with mental health issues at twice the rate of boys.

In fact, Silverman pointed out the number of reports of bullying and sexual dating violence are increasing for girls in Indiana.

"Girls who report being bullied at school has gone up significantly," Silverman reported. "The number of female high school students who reported sexual dating violence in the past year is seven times higher than that for male students."

Schools are encouraged to implement trauma-informed practices and address issues like bullying and sexual harassment.

Silverman noted the report concludes with a call for policymakers to invest in mental health programs and address economic and racial disparities to improve the overall well-being of Hoosier girls.

"This is only the second time we've done this," Silverman added. "Last year's Girl Report was wonderfully well-received and many local areas did take this information to look at how might we better expand our services or change our services to make sure that girls are reaching their full potential."


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A new study from Ball State University's Center for Business and Economic Research revealed how child care availability and costs affect women's workforce participation in Indiana.

Michael Hicks, director of the center, said the study examined economic factors influencing child care demand and the supply of child care workers. In 2022, the median wage for women in Indiana was slighter over $21 per hour. Hicks argued it is not enough and highlighted the financial strain on families.

"If you're a woman entering the labor force and you have two kids and your husband or your spouse is working at $57,000 a year, you have to earn almost $24 an hour before you're taking home the equivalent of minimum wage," Hicks pointed out.

Hicks added the same parent would need to earn more than $32 per hour to bring home $400 per week after taxes and child care costs. He explained the study identified for many Hoosier families with children, the decision for both parents to work is often financially impractical.

The study also found a 10% increase in child care workers correlates with a 0.4% rise in employment for women aged 25-34 and 1% for those aged 35-44, which Hicks acknowledged could be an uphill battle.

"I think it's going to be very difficult to make large scale expansions of child care," Hicks noted. "Simply because it's such an expensive shock to the overall economy for what are really transient benefits."

Hicks stressed an 8% wage increase is needed to boost the child care workforce, underscoring the necessity for better pay to attract and retain workers.


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