Question

Discuss the unemployment rate by gender. Provide an overview of its trend and use facts to highlight the major changes in its trend and current status. Why does it represent a challenge for the economy?

Highlight the causes and how it negatively impacts the economy. Why does it need to be addressed by policy makers?

Answer 1

Unemployment by gender means that a gender specific (mostly women) has a higher rate of unemployment than the opposite, either due to lesser opportunity or lower preference by the employers.

The gender unemployment was significantly high before 1980 but in 1980s when recession struck the economy, gender unemployment reduced significantly and women were less affected by the recession than men in context to joblessness. In current economy also, the gender unemployment is not as high as it used to be before 1980s but it is still present.

It is a challenge for the economy as women constitute 49% of the human population and if this significant portion of population would not get employment opportunity, the economy of any nation would not grow. It is as if half population is not getting jobs. Therefore it needs to be addressed by the policy makers.

The cause of it is that women are not equally educated as men hence they do not get the equal opportunity and also they are considered to be weak and unfit by the employers hence they do not get chosen easily.