Nontraditional Employment

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California and its local areas have many nontraditional occupations, ones in which individuals of one gender comprise less than 25 percent of the individuals so employed.

What is a Nontraditional Occupation?

According to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), a nontraditional occupation is an occupation or field of work in which individuals of one gender comprise less than 25 percent of the individuals so employed. Programs aimed at strengthening the self-sufficiency of individuals may emphasize nontraditional jobs, which at times offer higher wages and benefits.

Nontraditional Employment Data

Some provisions of the federal WIOA focus on nontraditional occupations. Examples of male-dominated occupations for California include electrical and electronics engineers, carpenters, electricians, and auto service technicians and mechanics. Examples of female-dominated occupations are speech-language pathologists, preschool and kindergarten teachers, occupational therapists, and registered nurses.

Data for California and areas are available from American Community Survey tables on our website. In the Detail Occupations table, look at the percentages for female or male.

Data for the United States are available from the Current Population Survey at the U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau website.

Additional Resources

There are many resources on nontraditional jobs including: