Canadian Women
Catalyst Information Center

LABOR FORCE AND EARNINGS

• In 2005:
  • Women ages 15 and older were 46.7% of the labour force 1, up from 37.1% in 1976
  • 61.8% of all women ages 15 and older worked 1, up from 42% in 1976
  • 27.0% of all women in the paid workforce worked less than 30 hours per week at their main job, compared with 10.5% of employed men
  • Women made up 68.9% of the part-time workforce
• Women comprised 34.5% of all self self-employed workers in 2005, compared with 26.3% in 1976 and 31.3% in 1990
  Men still far outrank women in management occupations – in 2005, women made up 35.9% (522,100) of all management occupations (1,452,600) and 24.1% (21,800) of all senior management occupations (90,500). Women have even less presence in higher positions, holding 14.4% of corporate officer positions in 2004 and 11.2% of corporate board seats in 2003 in FP500 companies.
  • In 2004, the average earnings for full-year, full-time female workers was $ 38,400. For male workers, the average was $ 54,900
    Women earned an average of 69.9% of men's earnings.

• In 2003, women earned 61.1% of bachelor's degrees; 52.1% of master's degrees, and 41.8% of doctorate degrees.