Gender inequality in the labour force appears to be narrowing, recent data on the national labour force is showing.

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) shows in its Labour Force 2008 statistics that the employed female labour force increased by 9,700 people, or a mild 1.9 per cent, last October over the previous year, while female unemployment declined by 2,400 people, or 2.9 per cent.

Unemployment, however, is still greatest among women, with figures showing that, of the 134,600 people unemployed up to October 2008 in Jamaica, 81,800 were female.

The data compiled by STATIN is in stark contrast to data presented by the World Economic Forum (WEF) last year, which downgraded Jamaica for its efforts to reduce gender inequality.

In its Global Gender Gap Report 2008, WEF ranked Jamaica 44th for its efforts to reduce inequality - a significant way off from its 24th ranking in 2006.

Reducing inequality

The country is 63rd and 92nd, respectively, for its efforts to reduce inequality in the labour force and unequal pay for equal work.

"I am happy that my earlier observations have now been supported by data," said president of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF), Wayne Chen, who had previously scoffed at the data presented by the WEF.

"There is nothing significant that has happened in Jamaica in the last two years to create this [inequality]. If anything, Jamaica's position has improved," he argued.

He said it was only logical that the female labour force should enjoy an increase at this time, given the significant number of women, more so than men, who are acquiring higher education.

Gender specialist Dr Glenda Simms agreed.

"Women continue to stick with school activities and graduate from high school, colleges and institutions and training programmes, which means that they will have opportunities for jobs that might open up," she said.

However, she said a critical analysis of the jobs women were getting needed to be done in comparison to those that men get.

A number of sectors saw improvement in their female complement last year over 2007, especially the agricultural sector, which increased its female labour force by 8,900 people or close to 92 per cent of the total increase in the female labour force.

Areas of improvement

The other areas of improvement were in manufacturing; the wholesale and retail and hotels and restaurant services sector; transport, storage and communications and the financing, insurance, real estate and businesses services sectors.

Simms said grass-roots women more than men tend to see agriculture as an alternative method of employment because it involved nurturing, and that possibly accounted for women's increased move into agriculture.

"To a great extent, the woman is very close to heart, home and family and knows that she has to be putting her hands in the soil at this point in history to do a lot of things that she needs to do to feed her family," she said.

"Even if the pay is not so great, I think women would rather go out and get these jobs. Our challenge now is to make sure that the young men, especially those who have low levels of education, will see this also as an alternative," Simms added.

gareth.manning@gleanerjm.com