Structural Change and Female Participation in Recent Economic Growth: A Multisectoral Analysis for the Spanish Economy

Abstract

Economic growth has different impacts on gender gaps. Despite that the incorporation of women into the labour market drove towards a convergence with male participation in recent decades, a notable gender pay gap still persists standing at around 15% on average in the European Union. In this context, this paper evaluates the impact of economic growth patterns on the evolution of female employment and gender pay gaps. As a case study, we examine Spanish economic growth from 1980 to 2007 and the influences on the size, composition (by skill), and distribution (by sector) of female and male employment, as well as the consequences for gender gaps. First, sectorial feminization, direct discrimination, and structural change factors are identified and evaluated as sources of change in gender pay gap. Second, we explore the influence of demand, technology, and intensity factors on the evolution of employment in Spain, combining gender, skill, sectorial, and temporal perspectives.