Between 1997 and 2019, the workforce in eight EU countries expanded by more than 21 million individuals, with over 14 million being female workers, comprising 68% of the total new employment created. During this period, approximately 22% of new job positions for males were in high-paid roles, while for females, this figure increased to 31%. Similar employment trends were observed in most non-EU countries included in the study.
The findings presented in the report "Global Shifts in the Employment Structure," jointly released by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and Eurofound, draw on data from a diverse array of 17 countries. These include eight EU nations, along with Canada, the US, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Russia, India, and South Korea. The report offers a comprehensive global outlook on employment shifts by gender and economic sector, as well as overarching trends in labor market dynamics in the 21st century. Among the EU countries covered are Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden, and France.
On a global scale, there has been a notable trend towards the feminization of employment in the early decades of the 21st century. A significant portion of women has transitioned from informal and inactive roles, such as unpaid household labor, to formal and paid employment. Concurrently, there has been a rise in women's participation in formal education, with some countries showing higher rates of female participation in tertiary education compared to men.