A government commissioned statistical analysis of the employment situation of women in Austria does not show any major transformations regarding the gendered distribution of work in the labour market. Even whenwomen and men have the same educational levels, women continue to have lower positions in the occupational hierarchy than men. Nevertheless, according to the study, the situation of women in the labour market has undergone some change over the past 55 years.
About the study
The former Austrian Federal Minister for Women, Media and Civil Service, Doris Bures, commissioned the Austrian statistical institute, Statistics Austria (Statistik Austria), to conduct a survey on gender differences in specific areas of life. The analysis encompasses demographic structures, forms of cohabitation, education, employment and income. It is based on a secondary analysis of existing data, including various microcensus surveys – which are carried out on a quarterly basis – and the population census from several decades. The following information mainly focuses on the employment situation of women in Austria.
Number of workers and type of occupation
In 2006, the number of women in dependent employment, those working in family businesses and self-employed women, amounted to 1,781,000 persons (Table 1). While this figure is still below that of men (2,248,000 persons), it rose by 40% between 1951 and 2006. Over the same period, the number of male workers increased by only 7%.
Table 1: Number of employees, family workers and self-employed, by sex, 1951 and 2006
| | 1951 | 2006 | % change |
| Women | 1,268,000 | 1,781,000 | 40 |
| Men | 2,002,000 | 2,248,000 | 7 |
| Total | 3,270,000 | 3,929,000 | 20 |
Source: Statistics Austria, 2007
In 2006, most women active in the labour market (89%) were either blue-collar workers (20%) or white-collar workers and civil servants (69%) (Table 2). Only 11% of all working women were self-employed (9%) or family workers (2%). In this respect, significant changes have taken place in the past 55 years. For instance, in 1951, only 55% of working women were engaged in dependent employment while 45% were self-employed (12%) or family workers (33%). This high proportion can be explained by the fact that about 37% of all working women were either self-employed (6%) or family workers (31%) in the agriculture and forestry sector. Thus, the shift towards a service economy has had a major impact on the employment situation of women.
Table 2: Female employees, family workers and self-employed, 1951 and 2006
| | 1951 | 2006 |
| Employees | 55% | 89% |
| Blue-collar workers | 38% | 20% |
| White-collar workers, civil servants | 17% | 69% |
| Self-employed | 12% | 9% |
| Agriculture and forestry | 6% | 3% |
| Family workers | 33% | 2% |
| Agriculture and forestry | 31% | 1.5% |
| Total female workers | 1,268,000 | 1,781,000 |
Source: Statistics Austria, 2007
At the same time, the share of women working in white-collar jobs or the civil service increased from 17% in 1951 to 69% in 2006, while the proportion of female blue-collar workers decreased from 38% in 1951 to 20% in 2006.
Migrants’ occupational position
The report also compares the occupational position of Austrian and migrant women. The findings reveal that 88% of Austrian women are dependent employees, compared with 93% of female migrants. Moreover, only 18% of Austrian women but 45% of migrant women are blue-collar workers. On the other hand, only 48% of female migrants but 71% of female Austrian nationals are white-collar workers or civil servants. Nevertheless, blue-collar jobs are even more common among male migrants: 63% of migrant men have blue-collar jobs while only one third of Austrian men are blue-collar workers. At the same time, half of all men with Austrian citizenship but only 28% of male migrants are white-collar workers or civil servants.
Qualifications and employment position
Although more women are employed in white-collar jobs today, this proportion declines with increasing levels of qualifications. For instance, 70% of all white-collar workers who perform auxiliary clerical jobs, 46% of those who perform higher activities and only 31% of those who perform highly-qualified or management activities are women. The picture is similar for blue-collar workers: 60% of unskilled workers but only one seventh of skilled labourers and as little as 4% of supervisors are women.
It is striking that women continue to have lower positions in the occupational hierarchy than men even if they have the same educational level. More women than men perform unskilled labour regardless of whether they have only completed the nine years of compulsory schooling or an apprenticeship. Overall, 26% of male graduates from secondary technical and vocational schools managed to climb up the hierarchy to high-level positions, while this is only true for 17% of women with the same level of education. This difference in qualification and occupational position is also apparent among workers with high educational levels. In this case, only 5% of women but 20% of men who graduated from a secondary technical or vocational college manage to fill a management position. This compares with 39% of female but 55% of male university graduates who are successful in taking up a management position.
Reference
Statistics Austria, Frauen und Männer in Österreich. Statistische Analysen zu geschlechtsspezifischen Unterschieden [Women and men in Austria. Statistical analysis of gender differences], published on behalf of the Federal Chancellery and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Women, Media and Civil Service, Vienna, 2007.
Marion Vogt, Working Life Research Centre (Forschungs- und Beratungsstelle Arbeitswelt, FORBA)