The table illustrates the percentage changes in male and female lawyers working across four job industries in a particular country between 2001 and 2016.
Overall, there was a notable shift away from the “Others” category, with both genders increasingly choosing Business and Private Lawyer roles. Female lawyers showed a stronger trend toward professional sectors, especially Business and Private Law.
In 2001, nearly half of all lawyers – 48% of females and 46% of males – were employed in “Others.” By 2016, this dropped significantly to 16% for females and 29% for males. Meanwhile, the Business sector saw the most growth, particularly among women, rising from 11% to 23%. Male participation in Business also increased from 14% to 20%.
Private Lawyer roles remained relatively stable for males (15% to 14%) but rose for females from 17% to 21%. Government positions saw a slight decline for both genders, with male representation falling from 25% to 22% and female from 24% to 20%.
These trends suggest a professionalization of career choices among lawyers, especially women, who increasingly moved toward structured legal and business roles over time.