The Economist released its fifth annual “glass ceiling index” to commemorate International Women’s Day on March 8.  The index ranks OECD countries based on where women have the best (and worst) chance of equal treatment in the workplace.   U.S. ranks 20^th out of the 29 countries surveyed.  Not good.   There are bright spots, however.  Women account for more than 40% of managerial positions in the U.S.  Not great, but enough to rank it first.  Women’s tertiary (higher) education attainment is also 6% greater than that of men, and better than the OECD average.  This is all good.  How then do we explain that women make 20% less than men in the U.S., which ranks as the 25^th worst out of 29? More academically inclined people can answer this question better, but it does seem compelling that in this group of countries, the U.S. is among the most challenging in which to raise children.  Which feeds an unhappy circularity of reinforcing existing gender norms in the home (women more likely to stay at home) and the workplace (lower wages). In the U.S., net child-care costs are among the highest (5^th out of 29), as a percentage of average wages.  It is the only country in this group to offer no mandated paid leave for mothers.  And, cozy in a group of 9 countries to offer no paid leave for fathers.  It probably does not help that women hold only 20% of seats in the House of representatives – 5^th lowest. Source: “The best and worst places to be a working woman” The Economist, March 8