Gender Inequality in the Labour Market in the European Union in the Period of Financial Crisis

Abstract

This paper describes the impact of the financial crisis on the level of unemployment in the countries and regions of the European Union. Statistical analyses covered the years 2000–2014, so both the period of economic growth and years of crisis. In most regions of the European Union unemployment as a result of the occurrence of the crisis has increased, but there were also quite a number of regions where the labour market situation has improved. Particular atten-tion was paid to the issue of disparate impact of the crisis on unemployment among men and among women. It turns out that much more “sensitive” to the economic crisis is the unemployment rate among men. In many countries after 2007 the level of unemployment among both sexes has been equalized and in a few countries men now have more difficult situation on the labour market than women. Indicator of discrimination against women in the labour market, calculated as the ratio of unemployment rates for men and women, after 2007 decreased in almost all the countries concerned. This is due to, of course, a larger share of women's employment than men's in public sector. On the basis of monthly time series, seasonal factors for the unemployment rates among women and men in different countries were determined. In the vast majority of countries, the unemployment rate among men is characterised by stronger seasonal fluctuations. It can therefore be concluded that even in this aspect the situation of men in the labour market after 2007 is more difficult than women. Summarizing, the paradigm of gender inequality in the labour market is still valid, but the character of these inequalities is not as clear as before the crisis.