Band 9: The table below shows the percentage of working men and women in different areas of employment in one country in 1986, 1996 and 2006. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The table illustrates the proportions of employed men and women across various sectors in a particular country during the years 1986, 1996, and 2006.

Overall, it is evident that women had a more prominent presence in education and catering, whereas men had a more leading role in manufacturing industry and banking .

In detail, the percentage of men working in the manufacturing industry sharply decreased from 32 percent in 1986 to 17 percent in 2006, whereas women’s employment in this field dropped from 18 percent to 6 percent more steadily during the same period. Education employment for men rose from 13 percent to 15 percent, and for women from 33 percent to 38 percent.

Conversely, women’s employment remained unchanged in the catering industry from 1986 to 2006, whereas men’s employment rose from 16 percent to 22 percent in the same period. However, both genders had a significant growth in banking employment. Men’s employment rose from 11 percent to 21 percent, while women’s employment increased from 12 percent to 19 percent.