The table compares the employment distribution of men and women across six different industries in New Zealand in 1993 and 2003.
Overall, there were clear gender-based preferences in employment, with men dominating technical fields such as IT and farming, while women were more prevalent in the services sector. Over the ten-year period, a notable shift occurred in several industries, reflecting a trend toward greater gender balance.
In 1993, IT was the most male-dominated sector, with 80% of the workforce being men. Although this figure declined to 70% by 2003, men still accounted for the vast majority. A similar trend was seen in farming, where male participation dropped from 75% to 65%, while the proportion of women rose from 25% to 35%.
The manufacturing and building sectors also saw a narrowing gender gap. In manufacturing, the percentage of men fell slightly from 55% to 52%, while women increased marginally from 45% to 48%. Likewise, in the building industry, male employment declined from 68% to 60%, accompanied by a corresponding rise in female participation from 32% to 40%.
In contrast, the services sector, initially dominated by women (85%), witnessed a dramatic decrease in female representation to 60% by 2003. Meanwhile, male participation nearly tripled from 14% to 40%, reflecting a significant demographic shift. Commerce remained the most gender-balanced industry, with male employment increasing modestly from 45% to 50%, and female figures decreasing slightly from 55% to 45%.