Women in the Republic of Ireland are much more likely than men to be looking for work since the Covid pandemic began, a new study has found. 

Researchers found that in 2020 women were 1.4 times more likely to say they were looking for a job than men, if people of a similar age and background were compared.   

The British Sociological Association online conference on work heard today [Wednesday, 25 August 2021] that researchers analysed survey data on men and women in 32,500 households from 2002 to the end of 2020. 

Dr Maeve O’Sullivan, Dr Aileen Murphy and Dr Edel Walsh, of Cork University Business School, and Dr Nata Duvvury, NUI Galway, adjusted the raw data to compare men and women of similar employment status, level of education, occupation and age to see how Covid affected the jobs market. 

They found that from 2002 to 2020, on average women were more likely than men to be looking for work. This figure rose during the pandemic so that during 2020 women were 1.4 times more likely to be looking for work than men.  

The chances of a women being unemployed but not looking for work in 2020 fell by almost a half from the average figure for 2002-2020, as a result of increasing job losses.    

Dr O’Sullivan told the event that: “Unlike previous crises which primarily resulted in global financial shocks, this pandemic is affecting women’s employment more acutely than men’s. 

“This has resulted in a ‘she-cession’ that emphasises the worrying and retrograde impact that this crisis is having on gender equality in an Irish context. 

“Covid-19 impacted Irish society and its economy at a time when the country had finally recovered from the Great Recession, with female employment at higher levels than pre-recessionary times.  

“But the economic sectors most severely impacted by Covid-19 lockdown measures employed high proportions of the female labour force. During the Covid-19 crisis, women comprise over 70 percent of essential workers and are employed in sectors initially impacted by the national lockdown. 

“In the longer-term, there is significant concern among academics, employers and policy makers as to whether women will return to paid employment post-pandemic, given that some jobs no longer exist. 

“The findings from this study offer preliminary and worrying indications that the coronavirus pandemic could push more women to the sidelines.” 

 The researchers also found that during 2020 unemployed women aged 55 to 64 were much more likely to have stopped looking for work, compared with younger working women. This contrasted with the financial crisis of 2008, when they had increased employment largely through part-time work. 

For more information, please contact: 

Tony Trueman
British Sociological Association
Tel: 087 641 4947
tony.trueman@britsoc.org.uk

Notes  

1. The researchers used data from the Irish Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) and Labour Force Survey (LFS) from Q1 2002 to Q4 2020. They adjusted the figures to compare men and women of similar employment status, level of education, occupation and age in a regression analysis.
2. The British Sociological Association’s Work, Employment and Society conference takes place from 25-27 August 2021 online, with over 150 presentations given. The British Sociological Association’s charitable aim is to promote sociology. The BSA is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 3890729. Registered Charity Number 1080235   britsoc.co.uk

For more information, please contact: 

Tony Trueman
British Sociological Association
Tel: 087 641 4947
tony.trueman@britsoc.org.uk