IWD: WOMEN DRIVING EU JOB GROWTH BUT STILL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USEU BRUSSELS 000756 SIPDIS SIPDIS DOL FOR BLS AND ILAB TREASURY FOR IMI STATE FOR DRL/IL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB ESOC KWMN PGOV EUN SUBJECT: IWD: WOMEN DRIVING EU JOB GROWTH BUT STILL FACING WAGE BARRIERS ¶1. SUMMARY. In a paper submitted to EU leaders on March 8 (International Women's Day),the EU Commission said three out of four new jobs created in the EU were now being taken by women. However, the report also showed women in the EU continue to be employed less Q and paid less Q than men. END SUMMARY. ¶2. Out of 8 million jobs created in the EU since 2000, 6 million were filled by women, and 59 percent of university graduates are now female, according to a report by the EU Commission forwarded to the March 8-9 European Council. The 2007 "Annual report on equality between women and men" -- the first since the Commission launched its Gender Roadmap and EU leaders adopted a "Pact for Gender Equality" in March 2006 Q- confirms that while women are outperforming men in educational achievement and boosting the EU's overall employment rate, they are still earning on average 15 percent less than men. In the words of EU Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Commissioner Spidla: "Women are driving job growth in Europe and are helping us reach our economic targets, but they still face too many barriers to realizing their full potential." ¶3. The EU's female employment rate now stands at 56.3 percent -- 2.7 percentage points above the 2000 level, compared with a 0.1 percentage point rise for men over the same period, according to the report. Similarly, the employment rate for women over 55 has risen significantly faster than that for men, now standing at 33.7 percent Q almost 7 percentage points more than in 2000. While the number of women completing higher education now exceeds men, their employment rate remains 15 percentage points lower than men's. The increase in female employment is mainly in sectors and jobs already dominated by women and that are generally less well paid. Women are also said to face greater difficulties in reaching decision-making positions. ¶4. The Commission contrasted these findings with the results of a Eurobarometer (opinion poll) survey published last January, in which a large majority of Europeans said more women were needed in management positions (77 percent) and parliaments (72 percent). Overall, the Commission said, "the 2007 report makes it clear that more can be done to make full use of the productive potential of the workforce. Work- life balance is pinpointed as a key area in achieving greater equality between women and m the employment rate forrtcudh`oppl relevant legislation.Q ¶6. Alongside the report, the Commission iQ publishing two independent studies by academ)c experts. The first examines the gender pay gap and will be followed by a Commission Communication planned for the summer. The second looks at the position of disadvantaged women and the gender dimension of poverty and social exclusion. In the context of International Women's Day, the issue of women in decision-making was addressed in a high-level conference organized by the Commission in USEU BRUSSELS 00000756 002 OF 002 Brussels on March 6, which brought together 200 participants and five female Commissioners together with top women from the business world. ¶7. For further details and full texts: -- 2007 report on equality between women and men: http://eur- lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2007/com 2007_00 49en01.pdf -- The gender pay gap Q origins and policy responses (expert report): http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/emplweb /public ations/publication_en.cfm?id=8 -- Gender inequalities in the risks of poverty and social exclusion for disadvantaged groups in thirty European countries (expert report): http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/emplweb /public ations/publication_en.cfm?id=86 -- 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All: http://equality2007.europa.eu GRAY