Women In the private sector
In 1987, women made up 40.1% of the private sector workforce. By 2000, their representation had increased to 43.9%, slightly lower than the 44.8% registered in 1999, but close to their 46.4% availability. Women's share of hirings was 38.7% in 2000, slightly lower than the 39.7% share they received in 1999.
Women's representation varied considerably from one industrial sector to another. It was highest in the banking sector, at 71.4% and lowest in the transportation sector, at 24.2%. In 2000, as in the previous year, women's share of senior management positions increased in all sectors. Overall, their representation in senior management positions stands at 19.1%, close to their 1996 Census availability of 20.8%.
In the banking sector, women continue to be concentrated in clerical positions. However, they have made gains in senior management, where they hold 23.7% of all positions, higher than the 1996 Census benchmark of 20.8%. They now occupy more than half of all middle management and professional positions in this sector.
In transportation, women's representation at 24.2% in 2000 was substantially higher than the 16.0% reported in 1987. Of note is the increase in women's share of senior management positions, which reached 14.4% in 2000, up from 11.3% in 1999. In this sector, close to 30.0% of all jobs are in the semi-skilled manual workers occupational group, which includes various kinds of drivers. Women hold 10.7% of all semi-skilled positions; however, close to half of them work in part-time school bus driver positions. There is considerable work to be done before women are equitably represented in this sector.
In 2000, 22% of women in the private sector worked in part-time or temporary jobs, compared with only 9.0% of men. This pattern is most noticeable for Aboriginal women, 25.0% of whom work on a part-time or temporary basis.
In the public sector
Women's representation in the federal public sector was 52.1% as of March 31, 2001, slightly higher than the previous year and in line with the Census benchmark of 46.4%. Overall, women have made substantial progress since 1987, when their representation was 42.0%. Women received 57.8% of all hires in 2000, approximately the same as in the previous year.
Women's share of executive positions has been rising steadily and now stands at 30.0%, compared with 28.4% the previous year. Their share of Scientific and Professional positions also increased to 37.8%, compared with 36.6% in the previous year.
However, the progress noted above does not tell the whole story. In 2000, only 18.0% of women were hired into permanent positions, compared with 26.0% of men, and 45.0% of women were hired into administrative support positions, compared with 14.0% of men. Clearly there is some distance to go before women are equitably represented throughout the federal public service.
As of March 31, 2001, women's representation in organizations with 200 or more employees was highest in the National Parole Board, at 80.0%, and the civilian component of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, at 77.5%. This is due to the high proportion of clerical positions in these workforces. It was lowest, at 28.5%, in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, a department with a high proportion of jobs in the scientific, technical, and operational categories, where women have traditionally been under-represented.
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