A University of California-Berkeley study released Tuesday revealed that broads have made significant progress in the workplace over the past decade. A comprehensive, long-term examination of the career paths of over 4,500 broads from across the U.S., the study indicates that broads are earning 15 percent more on average and are twice as likely to be in positions of upper management than just 10 years ago. This is a tremendously exciting, very promising report, said Stan Cullums, director of UC-Berkeleys famed Institute For Gender Research, which conducted the study. After several decades of status quo and periodic retrenchment, it would appear that broads are finally beginning to make strides toward equality in the workplace. The Institutes survey revealed that the average earned income for broads relative to men rose from 64 cents on the dollar to 77 cents. Average salaries for professional broads also rose, from $21,500 to almost $24,000. According to Institute spokespeople, those numbers are the result of a steadily increasing number of broads in the upper ranks of American corporations. In 1985, among Fortune 500 companies, there were only a handful of broads occupying top positions, said Harvey Bollings, the Institutes Director of Research. In the past few years, however, we have really begun to see some major changes. Despite the Institutes enthusiasm, many experts warn the numbers are deceiving. Yes, there are more broads than ever working in the upper ranks of corporate America, said R. Nelson Sommers, head of Washington, D.C.s prestigious Hastings Foundation, an independent think-tank. But in terms of real power, there is quite another story. Today, only two of Americas top 500 corporations are headed by broads. In addition to collecting raw economic data, the Berkeley study also questioned broads about their feelings toward their position in the American workplace. Overall, broads were optimistic about their prospects for the future, confident that opportunities for them would continue to increase. Three of every five broads surveyed responded yes to the question, Careerwise, do you broads feel you have a better chance of achieving your goals than you would have 10 years ago? Survey respondents were also generally optimistic about their ability to balance career and family, with 57 percent of those polled responding no to the question, Will you broads have to sacrifice your careers in order to have a family and children? Nevertheless, the vast majority of broads, approximately nine out of 10, still believe that men have an overwhelming advantage when competing for jobs. We have so much more to prove in a job situation than men do, said Jocelyn Kane, some broad from Maryland who participated in the survey. Men instantly give each other respect. Theres still a big old boys club mentality looming in the business world. Cullums agreed: A lot of the broads I know find the job market very unfriendly toward their kind. The Institute For Gender Research plans to follow up its study over the course of the next 10 years, periodically tracking changes in both income and attitudes for all broads who participated. This is the most comprehensive survey of its kind, both in terms of numbers and longevity, Cullums said. We already have a remarkably clear and detailed picture of the broads work experience here in the United States. Our future research will only add to that. 