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Women and Men in the Labor Force, 2010 and Projected 2020, Ages 15+*1

  Number of Women in the Labor Force

2010

Number of Men in the Labor Force

2010

Number of Women in Labor Force,

Projected 2020

Number of Men in Labor Force,

Projected 2020

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN 115,438,000 165,438,000 141,545,000 190,491,000
Central America 24,739,000 42,476,000 31,629,000 50,867,000
Caribbean 7,623,000 10,532,000 8,749,000 11,560,000
South America 83,491,000 112,430,000 101,166,000 128,064,000
EUROPE 168,418,000 196,473,000 168,543,000 195,064,000
Northern Europe 23,631,000 27,213,000 24,810,000 28,658,000
Western Europe 43,302,000 50,729,000 43,241,000 50,113,000
Eastern Europe 71,270,000 77,923,000 69,553,000 74,889,000
Southern Europe 30,214,000 40,607,000 30,939,000 41,403,000
AFRICA 168,827,000 228,768,000 224,423,000 299,519,000
Northern Africa 17,291,000 52,760,000 22,657,000 63,607,000
Western Africa 46,373,000 61,400,000 61,995,000 82,909,000
Eastern Africa 72,022,000 76,481,000 96,482,000 103,437,000
Middle Africa 23,866,000 25,921,000 32,796,000 35,441,000
Southern Africa 9,275,000 12,206,000 10,493,000 14,125,000
NORTHERN AMERICA** 81,774,000 95,089,000 87,402,000 102,721,000
Canada 8,919,400 10,010,400 9,607,000 10,807,200
United States 72,854,200 85,078,600 77,795,300 91,914,000
OCEANIA*** 8,324,000 9,975,000 9,656,000 11,380,000
Australia 5,353,200 6,469,000 6,044,600 7,136,400
New Zealand 1,098,900 1,251,000 1,209,800 1,374,500
ASIA 743,993,000 1,242,323 813,240,000 1,398,905
Western Asia 21,001,000 60,079,000 26,451,000 74,285,000
South-Central Asia 189,632,000 501,508,000 231,025,000 597,492,000
South-Eastern Asia 128,134,000 174,135,000 148,187,000 199,120,000
Eastern Asia 405,226,000 506,601,000 407,578,000 528,009,000

 

Labor Force by Gender and Region, 2010 and Projected 2020, Ages 15+2

Labor Force Participation Rates of Women and Men, 2010 and Projected 20203

Country Women, 2010 Men, 2010 Women, Projected 2020 Men, Projected 2020
Africa 54.9% 75.6% 56.6% 76.5%
Asia 49.3% 79.8% 47.3% 79.1%
Europe 51.6% 66.2% 51.7% 65.4%
Latin America and Caribbean 53.2% 79.8% 55.9% 78.9%
North America 57.9% 70.3% 57.2% 69.2%
Oceania 60.1% 73.2% 60.5% 71.9%

 

* Although women’s share of the labor force has increased almost everywhere, women are still less likely than men to be considered economically active. A major reason for the statistical discrepancy is the definition of "work." National labor statistics generally count workers in or seeking employment in formal sector enterprises and not those engaging in unstructured and unregulated casual labor, such as petty trade, food processing, and domestic work, in which women are far more active than men.4

** Also includes Bermuda, Greenland, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon. The ILO includes Mexico in Central America.

*** Includes area island nations as well as Melanesia and Micronesia.

How to cite this product: Catalyst. Catalyst Quick Take: Global Women. New York: Catalyst, 2012.