The bar charts compare the employment rates of men and women in Canada, South Korea, and Sweden in 2005 and 2015.
Overall, men had higher employment rates than women in all three countries in both years. However, female participation increased noticeably over the decade, particularly in Canada and Sweden, while South Korea continued to display the widest gender gap.
In 2005, male employment stood at approximately 65% in Canada, 75% in South Korea, and 78% in Sweden. Female employment was considerably lower, at around 38% in Canada and 30% in South Korea, compared with a higher figure of roughly 45% in Sweden. This indicates that Sweden already had relatively strong female workforce participation at start of the period.
By 2015, employment rates for men rose slightly in Canada to about 70% and more noticeably in South Korea to nearly 80%, while Sweden experienced a modest decline to approximately 72%. Female employment increased in all three countries. Canada saw the most significant growth, with the figure rising to around 55%. Sweden followed a similar trend, reaching roughly 50%, whereas South Korea recorded a smaller increase to about 35%, remaining the lowest among the three.
In summary, although men consistently dominated employment across all countries, the gender gap narrowed over time, especially in Canada and Sweden. Despite some improvement, South Korea continued to exhibit comparatively low female employment and the largest disparity between men and women.