Employment rate for women in Romania among the lowest in Europe
Romania has one of the lowest employment rates among European Union countries, both for women (45.4%) and men (62.7%), according to Eurostat data from 2022. However, the employment rate for women is among the lowest in Europe, and the gender gap is one of the highest.
The employment rate of women and men in the labor market, the time allocated to unpaid domestic work, and wage disparities were analyzed in the latest infographic published by Social Monitor, a project of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
Active participation in the workforce is influenced by social protection policies and gender equality measures that ensure equal access for men and women to the labor market. Data obtained from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) surveys (2022) on gender equality in unpaid work explore the distribution of daily time spent on unpaid household activities.
Time spent on household work affects active participation in the labor market and future career choices. The traditional model of gender division in family life assigns women the role of primary caregiver for dependents, such as children, the elderly, or people with disabilities. Men are typically the primary income and aim for career advancement.
Data shows that women in Romania spend the most time on unpaid household work, such as caretaking, cooking, cleaning, and laundry, along with tasks related to home maintenance and household planning.
According to EIGE, in 2022, 87% of women in Romania reported daily involvement in domestic work, compared to 49% in Germany and 54% in Luxembourg. The significant difference between women and men in daily participation in household workplaces places Romania well above the EU average, alongside Central and Eastern European countries like Bulgaria and Hungary, where gender differences exceed 25%.
Correlated with a predominantly low employment rate for women, the data reinforce the hypothesis of a traditional gender division that places women in the role of primary family caregiver and men as the primary breadwinner.
The highest employment rate for women is in the Netherlands (68.1%), followed by Estonia (67%), Sweden (65.9%), and Denmark (65%).
According to Eurostat data, similar trends are observed in men's employment rates, with the highest values recorded in Western and Northern European countries.
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