OCCUPATIONAL SEGREGATION BY SEX IN NORDIC COUNTRIES - AN EMPIRICAL-INVESTIGATION

The Nordic countries are commonly associated with strong political com mitment to gender equality. But the reality is more complex. Examining data for some 200 occupations over the period 1970-90, the authors fi nd that one-third of all workers in Finland, Norway and Sweden would h ave to change occupation to eliminate occupational segregation by sex, which is substantially higher than that found in other OECD countries . Often working in female-dominated occupations or part-time employmen t, women are under-represented in senior positions and typically earn less than men. The underlying segregation impairs not only gender equa lity but also overall economic efficiency.