Gender and career development

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Sectoral and occupational segregation

The issues affecting gender differences in career choices and career patterns are varied and complex, but continuing sectoral and occupational segregation remain key problems. Such segregation encompasses both horizontal segregation, where women are excluded from senior positions, and vertical segregation, where women are segregated into gender-stereotyped roles or functions. Despite the major increase in women’s participation in the EU labour market over the last two decades, along with considerable evidence of ‘upskilling’, the level of sectoral, occupational or job segregation has continued to persist. Women’s participation has increased in some sectors, but not in others; as a result, female employment is still highly concentrated in a limited number of occupations.

In summary:

• although there have been improvements in recent years, gender stereotyping remains evident in many occupations;
• both sector specific and occupational segregation continue to be major obstacles to the equal treatment of women and men in employment;
• those occupations which are female-dominated are also often the lowest paid jobs;
• men and women are roughly equally represented in the high-skilled, non-manual and elementary occupational groups. However, almost 40% of all female employment is in the low-skilled, non-manual occupations, whereas this accounts for only around 14% of male employment (European Commission, Employment in Europe 2006, November 2006).

Data provided by the EIRO national centres in this study confirm this broad picture. In selecting those economic sectors with the largest differences between male and female employment rates, the similarity across the majority of EU Member States is striking.

Table 1: Employment of women and men, by sector (based on NACE classification) and country (%)
Table Layout

Country	Agriculture, hunting and forestry(NACE A)		Manufact-uring(NACE D)		Electricity,gas andwater supply(NACE E)		Construc-tion(NACE F)		Health and social work(NACE N)		Education(NACE M)
	W	M	W	M	W	M	W	M	W	M	W	M
AT	38	62	26	74	20	80	12	88	80	20	69	31
BE	29	71	23	77	22	78	6	94	79	21	67	33
CY	34	66	32	68	20	80	6	94	72	28	75	25
DE	27	73	23	77	21	79	11	89	75	25	57	43
DK	19	81	32	32	23	77	9	91	83	17	60	40
EL	43	57	27	73	18	82	2	98	64	36	61	39
ES	28	72	26	74	18	82	5	95	74	26	65	35
FI	30	70	29	71	-	-	7	93	85	85	66	34
FR	29	71	-	-	19	81	9	91	74*	26*	-	-
HU	25	75	39	61	26	74	7	93	78	22	76	24
IE	9	91	29**	71**	-	-	5	95	71	29	83	17
IT	30	70	-	-	-	-	6	94	-	-	-	-
LT	40	60	50	50	21	79	9	91	76	24	83	17
LU	30	70	18	82	-	-	7	93	74	26	64	36
LV	33	67	43	57	29	71	9	91	85	15	81	19
MT	4	96	20	80	9	91	2	98	53	47	65	35
NL	26	74	17	83	-	-	-	-	80	20	60	40
NO	23	77	25	75	19	81	6	94	82	18	66	34
PL	44	66	35	65	22	78	11	89	81	19	76	24
RO	46	54	47	53	23	77	9	91	77	23	73	27
SK	27	27	40	60	20	80	8	92	83	17	77	23
UK	21	79	24	76	25	75	10	90	79	21	73	27

Note: - Data not available; * Figures combine both sectors ‘health and social work’ and ‘education’; ** Figures relate to ‘other production industries’.

Source: EIRO national centres, 2006

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• ID: TN0612019S
• Author: Helen Newell
• Institution: IRRU, University of Warwick, UK
• Country: EU Countries
• Language: EN
• Publication date: 31-05-2007