Employment indexes, by sex

Women continue to increase their presence in the labour market

• Employment has grown more rapidly among women than among men during the past three decades. From 1976 to 2003, the number of working women has doubled, compared with a 37% gain for men, resulting in women's increased share of jobs. In 2003, almost half of all workers were women (47%), compared with just over a third (37%) in 1976.
• From 1976 to 2003, the number of jobs has increased in all industry sectors, except in agriculture, where employment has declined, especially among men. In all the other sectors, women's employment grew at a faster pace than that of men.
• During the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s, men experienced steeper and more prolonged employment declines than women did. Manufacturing and construction, two sectors in which a large majority of jobs are held by men, were especially hard hit in both recessions.

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