The table compares the proportions of male and female workers across four employment sectors in a particular town over three decades (1990, 2000, and 2010).
Overall, men were more heavily represented in manufacturing in the earlier years, while women dominated the tourism and retail sectors consistently. Over time, there was a noticeable shift towards more gender balance in most industries, except for manufacturing, where male participation declined sharply.
In 1990, men held a significant majority in manufacturing, accounting for 30%, compared to only 8% of women. However, by 2010, male involvement in this sector had plummeted to just 10%, while the female figure also dropped to 3%, making it the least gender-diverse and least populated category by the end of the period.
In contrast, tourism exhibited a consistently female-dominated trend, with women comprising nearly a quarter of the workforce in 1990, rising steadily to 27% in 2010. Male participation in tourism, however, declined gradually from 13% to 10% over the same timeframe.
Retail and health sectors demonstrated more balanced growth. Retail employment for both genders remained relatively stable, with women slightly increasing from 7% to 9% and men holding steady at 13%. The health sector, though initially female-led at 9%, saw male employment increase significantly from 7% to 9%, while the proportion of women surged to 15% in 2010, reflecting growing female prominence in this field.