Gender inequalities in occupational outcomes: an overview from a comparative and life course perspective

In this chapter, we provide a theoretical and empirical overview of gender inequalities in a variety of occupational outcomes, including employment participation, horizontal gender segregation, and occupational status and income. We do so by adopting a life-course perspective, highlighting the relevance of distinguishing the early stages of labour market entry and the later stages of occupational careers. In fact, both the patterns and the mechanisms underneath gender inequalities in occupational outcomes vary remarkably across the different career stages. Moreover, we compare different countries in Europe and worldwide, discussing how gender-related (dis)advantages are linked to labour market dynamics, countries’ institutions and macro-level policies, and sociocultural norms and values.