“On Labor Day 2012 the country is still recovering from the worst recession of modern times. Unemployment is stuck above 8 percent, and many of the jobs that have come back are lower level than the ones lost .

But Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, the first Latina to hold that post, is optimistic. She says progress has definitely been made — jobs are picking up, and programs to get more training for the jobless and shore up business are definitely working. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research , women’s jobs are now recovering at a faster pace, but there’s still more to be done. Since women are being courted hard by both parties in the upcoming elections, I thought it was a good time to talk with Solis about women’s employment. Here’s an excerpt from my radio show Equal Time with Martha Burk .”