Women and Employment

Abstract

One of the most profound changes in employment patterns in the past two decades has been the increased participation of women in the labour market. For most European countries the increase in women’s participation rates began in the 1970s, although for the UK it was from the 1960s and for Spain and Greece from the mid-1980s. As we discuss in this chapter, women’s employment patterns across Europe show both convergence and cross-national differences. There is also diversity in the employment experiences of women within countries. Differences in class, educational attainment, generation, ethnicity, household formation and regional or local conditions can all affect the integration of women into the labour market.