Gender and jobs

About this book

This book presents a comprehensive analysis of the levels and recent changes in the sex segregation of occupations. It is based on a unique new ILO data set which contains detailed occupational data from 41 countries or territories from all regions of the world. As shown by new evidence presented here, well over half of all non-agricultural workers in the sample countries and areas work in an occupation where one sex dominates to such an extent that at least 80 per cent of workers are either men or women. This negatively affects economic efficiency and labour market flexibility as well as perpetuating and reinforcing gender stereotypes in society. A number of findings will surprise readers, such as the higher level of occupational segregation in Scandinavia as compared to other industrialized countries, the lower level of occupational segregation in Asia as compared to Europe, the recent decreases in segregation in only some parts of the world, and the truly restricted and sex-stereotyped choice of occupations open to the world's women.