When companies downsize and restructure, it's generally not good news for anyone. But a recent study shows that when firms trim staff, women often find greater opportunities for career advancement.

Based on new research by a University of Illinois sociologist, women can make significant career progress into male-dominated management ranks when companies downsize and restructure. Sociologist John Dencker, a professor at the University Of Illinois Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations, found that companies tend to equalize gender inequities during periods of restructuring, according to the study, which appeared in the June issue of the American Sociological Review.

Dencker reviewed nearly 30 years of employment records from a Fortune 500 manufacturer that trimmed its workforce in the mid-1980s and early1990s. According to the findings, however, women's advancement during periods of downsizing generally are short lived. While women entered management positions at rates up to 25 percent higher than men in some grade levels during the downsizing periods, the gap closed within a year or two as management jobs became less plentiful after the restructuring period.

To read more about the study, visit the click here.

Written by Jenny Cromie, certified human resources specialist (CHRS)