Lakeland named No. 1 city in the country for female workers: Analysis
LAKELAND, Fla. - For female entrepreneurs looking for somewhere to plant their roots, Lakeland may be the spot to do it.
According to an analysis by Checkr.com, Lakeland was ranked as the number one city in the country for female workers based on factors like salaries, unemployment rates and number of women in management positions.
Every night at Frescos Southern Kitchen & Bar in downtown Lakeland there is one woman who is always on the move.
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"I've been in the restaurant industry since I was 16. Owned my first restaurant at 21," Frescos Southern Kitchen & Bar Owner & Executive Chef Tina Calhoon said.
Calhoon has been in the community for 25 years and running Frescos for the last 14.
"The women business owners here just seem to be very strong, strong-willed, strong-minded and have a strong desire to succeed," Calhoon said. "Lakeland is definitely a community of individuals that support one another."
And that may partly be why it's the best city in the country for female workers, according to an analysis by Checkr.com. Using U.S. Census Data from the 100 largest cities in America, the site scored each one based on five key metrics:
- Number of women in the workforce
- Women in management position
- Women’s salaries
- Wage gap between women and men
- Women’s unemployment rate
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The Lakeland-Winter Haven Metro area topped the list.
"It's just wonderful to see how well the community supports one another and how strong our non-for-profit community is and how we work hard to take care of everybody in the leadership roles," Calhoon said.
As Calhoon explained, more than 75% of her front-of-house staff are female and more than 50% of her back-of-house staff, something she said is unheard of for the restaurant industry. Going forward, she hopes more women feel empowered to start their own businesses just like she did.
"I find that we struggle silently because we're afraid to show weakness or show any image of failure. And, I think that women tend to take on a lot of additional stress that's not needed, that the community would help if we just reached out and leaned on the other people next to us," Calhoon said.