Women's News: Why women are landing more six-figure jobs

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Here’s what’s on the rise this week:

Spotlight

• It’s harder now to get a six-figure job than it has been in the last decade, but according to new data, women are landing those positions more often than men.

  • Job openings with $100,000+ salaries are the lowest they’ve been since 2014, fueling a “white-collar recession” in the labor market.  

  • A study revealed that women are more likely than men to be hired for these high-paying roles, despite applying for them less frequently.

  • Experts cite several potential reasons that women are snagging the coveted jobs:

    • Research has shown that men tend to apply to jobs if they meet ~60% of the position’s requirements, while women only apply if they fit all of the criteria. So, it makes sense that women submit their names for fewer roles than men but are more qualified for the job when they do. 

    • Some also believe the data signals that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are working and that employers are actively seeking women for senior positions.

Business and Tech

• The leaders of Disney and JPMorgan Chase are both searching for successors, and women appear to be major contenders for the roles. 

  • Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden is the rumored front-runner to take over for CEO Bob Iger when he retires in 2026, while JPMorgan executives Jennifer Piepszak and Marianne Lake are considered strong candidates to replace Jamie Dimon.

• It was a rocky week for OpenAI after the release of its new version of ChatGPT, which CEO Sam Altman not-so-subtly implied was inspired by actress Scarlett Johansson’s AI character in the movie Her. Let’s break it down:

  • Johansson revealed Monday that she had previously declined OpenAI’s requests to use her voice for the technology. She lawyered up, claiming the voice was “eerily similar” to hers.

  • OpenAI denied using or attempting to mimic Johansson’s voice but still agreed to pause the use of that voice, which it had named “Sky” (the technology has several voices that users can choose from).

  • On Wednesday, the Washington Post obtained evidence that OpenAI did not overtly copy Johansson’s voice, but experts still believe the actress could have grounds for a lawsuit. 

  • Either way, the chatbot garnered major backlash for its sultry, flirty tone—one observer said it was giving “female character as written by men” vibes.

• A former Goldman Sachs VP spoke out about the challenges of climbing the company’s ranks in a male-dominated culture, revealing telling clues about Goldman’s struggle to retain women at the executive level.

  • For example, she described having to “mimic the masculine way” or being ridiculed for posting “emotional” poetry on Instagram. 

Politics

• Louisiana appears poised to become the first state to designate abortion pills as dangerous controlled substances, meaning possession of the medication without a prescription would be punishable with jail time. 

  • The classification is currently used for medicines like Ambien, Xanax, and Valium that have the potential for abuse, but the FDA does not consider mifepristone and misoprostol, the abortion pills, to cause any risk of dependence.

  • Healthcare professionals have voiced strong opposition. Louisiana already bans most abortions, and the pills are often used for non-abortive reasons like treating ulcers or miscarriages.

  • State lawmakers passed the legislation yesterday, and Republican Governor Jeff Landry is widely expected to sign it into law.

• Oklahoma passed a law that allows reduced prison sentences for defendants who can prove that physical or psychological abuse was a factor in their offense, a major win for anti-domestic violence advocates.

• Maggie Tamposi Goodlander is running for Congress in New Hampshire after a harrowing experience birthing her stillborn son inspired her to advocate for abortion rights. 

  • She also happens to be the wife of the national security adviser Jake Sullivan, making her one of few spouses of high-ranking officials to run for federal office.

• Over two months after dropping out of the presidential race, Nikki Haley announced she will vote for Donald Trump in November.

Healthcare

• Women will now be able to collect their own samples for HPV screenings at urgent care clinics or even pharmacies. Experts hope the new method will help prevent HPV—the virus that causes cervical cancer—among minorities and rural populations.

• A startup in Mexico created robots and AI models to automate the entire IVF process. The company hopes the technology, which has successfully impregnated eleven patients, will make the procedure more reliable and less expensive for women worldwide.

Sports

• A Las Vegas tourism agency wants to give every member of the city’s WNBA team a two-year $100,000 sponsorship. The league is investigating the deal to make sure it doesn’t violate the “spirit” of the salary cap.

  • Meanwhile, other WNBA players have teamed up with Skims, Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand, for an ad campaign that highlights the growing popularity of women’s basketball.

• Emma Hayes, the new coach of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, announced her first Olympic roster for a set of friendly games against South Korea. 

  • Also in the world of soccer, Washington D.C.’s new professional women’s team, which will launch in August, scored its first major investor—basketball star Angel Reese.

• Gender representation is increasing in Formula 1, thanks in part to F1 Academy, a women-only racing series. Founded last year by former driver Susie Wolff, the Academy aims to expand access for women entering the sport.

• Golfer Nelly Korda is seemingly unstoppable, having won six of her last seven events, and much like Caitlin Clark and the WNBA, Korda’s success is fueling increased interest in women’s golf.

Culture

• Cassie Ventura made a powerful statement after the release of a graphic video showing her assault by ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs.

  • "Domestic Violence is THE issue,” Ventura wrote on Instagram. “It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become… My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believing victims the first time.”

  • Also this week, a former model filed a lawsuit alleging that Diddy forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2003.

• Dolly Parton’s music is coming to an orchestra near you. The singer announced a “multimedia symphonic storytelling experience” that will feature orchestral renditions of her songs and videos of Parton. The tour begins in 2025.

• Jenny Erpenbeck won the International Booker Prize, a prestigious literary award for fiction translated into English, for her acclaimed novel, Kairos.

Further Reading