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Type in switchboard operator and it's always just rows of women. Why was that? Obviously it seems as if that was a job particularly suited for women.
First response beat me to the answer.
Young boys were rude, lazy, restless and had other qualities that made them unsuited (so everyone thought) to being telephone operators.
Females were seen as docile, easily trained and also had better dexterity and coordination needed for the often repetitive tasks involved in being a telephone operator.
Clerks, secretaries and other office workers were first largely a male occupation. But with the arrival of typewriter things changed. Females on average excelled in typing (for same qualities mentioned above, dexterity, etc....), and soon virtually all secretaries were females.
When telephone companies discovered that women could do the job as well or better than males, they naturally started hiring them in masse because they didn't have to pay females as much as they did males for the same work. Women competed for these jobs because there wasn't a broad range of jobs available to them. They had to take what was out there.
When telephone companies discovered that women could do the job as well or better than males, they naturally started hiring them in masse because they didn't have to pay females as much as they did males for the same work. Women competed for these jobs because there wasn't a broad range of jobs available to them. They had to take what was out there.
Thank goodness for the unions that made even operators' jobs pay a living wage.
I had a coworkers whose mother worked directory assistance at AT&T for 27 years. Their average handle time was 12 seconds from answer to releasing the call. That's over a million calls in a lifetime.
Young boys were rude, lazy, restless and had other qualities that made them unsuited (so everyone thought) to being telephone operators.
Females were seen as docile, easily trained and also had better dexterity and coordination needed for the often repetitive tasks involved in being a telephone operator.
Clerks, secretaries and other office workers were first largely a male occupation. But with the arrival of typewriter things changed. Females on average excelled in typing (for same qualities mentioned above, dexterity, etc....), and soon virtually all secretaries were females.
I worked for a medical supply company for a few months once upon a time, and most of the people that were involved with the assembling of the petri dishes lids, and tops as they were being formed by the injection molding machines were women. That job would drive you nuts. Sorry off topic.
Thank goodness for the unions that made even operators' jobs pay a living wage.
I had a coworkers whose mother worked directory assistance at AT&T for 27 years. Their average handle time was 12 seconds from answer to releasing the call. That's over a million calls in a lifetime.
I worked out of construction Union once upon a time. Meh. Okay at best. Big difference when working for a company with "In House Union" representation.......that is the type of Union your coworker's mother was with.
Type in switchboard operator and it's always just rows of women. Why was that? Obviously it seems as if that was a job particularly suited for women.
Men believed this was a job for women and forced them into the telephone Operator Service at low wages.
And the work dress was female to ware to work. Any men ever want to ware frocks?
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Women Telephone operators
