Women Unwelcome on Wall Street

Sallie Krawcheck's recent departure from her high-powered job at Bank of America underscores a trend on Wall Street: female executives are losing jobs at a faster rate than their male counterparts. Ten years ago, the number of women with top jobs in finance was rising. But from 2007 to 2010, 12.5 percent of women in finance lost their jobs compared to 8.8 percent of men, according to statistics analyzed by the Economic Policy Institute. In the market at large, however, men lost their jobs at a higher rate. Some age-old stereotypes may be to blame, like the consensus that women will be less likely to stay at work after having children. Krawcheck herself said in an interview earlier this year, "There's no doubt that bringing up the kids, having a family life, and also having a full-time job on Wall Street is as extreme as it gets."