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In the Modern Workplace, It Pays to Be a People Person

Victor1558
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Flickr Creative Commons

The nature of the American workplace is shifting, and the change looks to be more beneficial for females than males. A recent article on the blog FiveThirtyEight.com noted that people skills are increasingly important in the modern world. While hard skills such as math and engineering are still valued, communicating clearly has never been more important. And women appear to be capitalizing on the shift.

A 2013 Oxford University study found that in 20 years, nearly half of US jobs will be vulnerable to automation. But certain jobs are safer than others, and computers aren’t good at simulating human interaction.

Cognitive skills don’t vary by gender. But studies show that women consistently score higher on tests of emotional intelligence and social perceptiveness.