Female unemployment

Unemployment of women
Unemployed girls

Nature

Women are generally more likely to be victims of unemployment than men, due to factors as diverse as recession, lack of education, and discrimination.

Background

Women's employment has rise sharply in the industrialized world since WW II. In the USA in 1960, twice as many women were at work as in 1940, and by the mid-1980's, nearly two thirds of all women from 20 to 64 were employed. In Europe in 1992, women make up 51% of the population of working age but only 39% of the employed; the corresponding figures for men are 49% and 61%, respectively. (This is an average; in Denmark, for example it is more nearly equal where women are 1.4 million of the 2.9 million in the labour force).

Incidence

In the OECD countries, female unemployment exceeds male unemployment by anything from 30 to 100% (except Japan, where the rate is slightly higher for the males). In the EEC/EU countries it averaged 40% higher (11% for women compared with 6.5% for men in 1990). In 1993/94, Hungary and Slovenia were the only two countries in Europe with higher male unemployment than female.

Claim

The level of female unemployment, based on registration, likely to understate its actual level in countries, such as the UK, where many women work part-time or under other atypical work contracts with no benefits or entitlements, and thus little incentive to register as unemployed. This could also be true for countries where unemployment benefits are low.

Counter-claim

Female unemployment is not an important problem at all. In today’s world, women have equal access to education and job opportunities, and those who want to work can find employment if they truly try. The focus on female unemployment is exaggerated, diverting attention from more pressing issues. Society should stop treating women as victims and recognize that the job market is fair for everyone, regardless of gender.