Is public sector employment a haven in the COVID-19 jobs crisis?
It looks as if job opportunities in the public sector have provided a respite from the shrinking private sector during the dark days of the COVID-19 crisis, at least for some women.
At least for some women, it looks as if job opportunities in the public sector have provided a respite from the shrinking private sector during the dark days of the COVID-19 crisis. Data on employment according to the public or private sector show growth in public sector jobs for women in Mongolia (12 per cent), Thailand (4 per cent) and Viet Nam (1 per cent) during 2020, while private sector employment shrank (or held steady in the case of Thailand). A portion of public sector job growth could be due to government recruitment drives for health-care personnel to assist with increased demand for testing and treating communities exposed to the virus.
In contrast, public sector employment for men in the same countries declined (with Thailand as an exception, with minimal increase of 1 per cent). For the Philippines, employment declined on all fronts in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period one year prior. For men, job loss was almost entirely private sector, while for women, losses extended across both public and private sectors.
The changes in employment by public or private sector during the crisis are also seen in the female shares of employment. In Mongolia and Viet Nam, from 2019 to 2020 the female share in private sector employment decreased slightly while the female share in public sector employment increased. In Thailand, changes are slight although the female share in public sector employment did increase by 0.7 percentage points.
It is important to note, however, that in all four countries, it is only in the public sector that gender equality in shares of employment has been achieved, with women outnumbering men in public sector jobs in all countries. Men continue to have the edge when it comes to private sector employment. The largest gap is seen in the Philippines, where in 2020 nearly two in three private sector workers were male.
In contrast, public sector employment for men in the same countries declined (with Thailand as an exception, with minimal increase of 1 per cent). For the Philippines, employment declined on all fronts in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period one year prior. For men, job loss was almost entirely private sector, while for women, losses extended across both public and private sectors.
The changes in employment by public or private sector during the crisis are also seen in the female shares of employment. In Mongolia and Viet Nam, from 2019 to 2020 the female share in private sector employment decreased slightly while the female share in public sector employment increased. In Thailand, changes are slight although the female share in public sector employment did increase by 0.7 percentage points.
It is important to note, however, that in all four countries, it is only in the public sector that gender equality in shares of employment has been achieved, with women outnumbering men in public sector jobs in all countries. Men continue to have the edge when it comes to private sector employment. The largest gap is seen in the Philippines, where in 2020 nearly two in three private sector workers were male.