Women at Work

In recent years, increasing numbers of women have joined the global workforce. Their participation in the workforce is influenced by many factors, such as cultural norms, economic necessity, and the availability of child care. Which of the following countries has the lowest percentage of women in the workforce?

ANSWERS

A. Chile B. Finland C. Ethiopia D. Thailand

A. Chile is correct.

In January 2006, Chile experienced a historic first when Michelle Bachelet became Latin America's first democratically elected female president. Yet only about 38 percent of Chilean women age 15 or older are in the workforce.

Chile thus ranks at the bottom of the list in Latin America, behind such countries as Panama (46.5 percent ) and El Salvador (44.1 percent), according to data compiled by the International Labor Organization. A person is considered part of the labor force when he or she is employed or actively looking for work.

B. Finland is not correct.

Finland's labor force participation rate for women stands at 46.7 percent. This rate is in line with other large Western European countries, such as Germany (48.9 percent) and France (49.2 percent), but well behind Denmark (74.2 percent) the world leader in this category.

Many countries, especially developed ones, are seeking to increase the share of female workers, since they face a looming demographic crisis that threatens to overwhelm retirement systems. Increasing the number of women in the workforce is one possible way of lessening such demographic pressures.

C. Ethiopia is not correct.

Almost 57 percent of Ethiopian women age 15 or older participate in the workforce, ranking the country near the top globally and far ahead of any other African country for which data are available.

But a simple statistic like the labor force participation rate does not fully reflect women's contributions to economic life.

Many women work in areas in which they do not receive formal compensation, such as when they raise children, perform household work, or help out in family-run businesses. Such labor by women is often essential but is not reflected in official labor force statistics.

D. Thailand is not correct.

Thailand has one of the highest rates of female labor force participation in the world. At 65.1 percent, the country ranks well ahead of other Asian nations such as the Philippines (50.2 percent), South Korea (49.9 percent), and Japan (48.2 percent).

The female labor force participation rate for the United States is 59 percent, placing the country ahead of Mexico (40.3 percent), but behind Canada (62.1 percent).

The Globalist Quiz is produced by The Globalist, a Washington-based research organization that promotes awareness of world affairs. © 2006 The Globalist, www.theglobalist.com.