Employment rates of men and women – A wider gap on a full-time-equivalent basis

In 2011, among women aged 20 to 64 and having completed their initial training, 67% had a job: this is 9 points less than for men. On a full-time-equivalent (FTE) basis, the employment rate among women was only 59% and the gap between women and men reached 15 points. The gap is large, but narrowed between 2003 and 2011: the FTE employment rate for women increased by 1 point, while that for men fell by 3 points. The employment rates increase sharply among those aged 55 to 64, both for men and women, despite a marked increase in part-time work among those of ages 60-64. Between 2003 and 2011, it was for the 20-29 age group that the situation worsened most: unemployment and part-time work increased sharply from 2008 onwards. In 2011, the FTE employment rate among young women without a qualification was under 30% against more than 80% for young women with a higher education diploma. Less qualified women, whether with or without children, have more difficulty than their male counterparts and more qualified women finding a job and working full time.