EU Gender Employment Gap Persists, Though Narrowing, in 2024

Data released in early March 2026 reveals a persistent gender employment gap within the European Union, though progress is being made. In 2024, men’s employment rate stood at 80.8%, while women’s employment rate was 70.8%, resulting in a gap of 10.0 percentage points . This gap is defined as the difference between employment rates of men and women aged 20-64.

Part-Time Work and Temporary Contracts

While the overall employment rate differs, women are more likely to be in precarious employment situations. In 2024, the share of female part-time workers in total employment was 27.8%, significantly higher than the 7.7% for men. Similarly, women accounted for 11.3% of temporary contracts compared to 8.9% for men, and 3.6% of underemployment cases versus 1.6% for men .

Regional Disparities in the Gender Employment Gap

The gender employment gap varies considerably across EU member states. In 2024, Italy recorded the largest gap at 19.4 percentage points, followed by Greece (18.8 pp) and Romania (18.1 pp) . Conversely, Finland exhibited a negligible gap of just 0.7 percentage points, with Lithuania (1.4 pp) and Estonia (1.7 pp) as well showing relatively narrow disparities.

Progress Over Time

Despite ongoing challenges, the EU’s gender employment gap has decreased by 1.1 percentage points between 2014 and 2024. This positive trend was observed in 22 EU countries, with the most significant decline in Malta (-13.2 pp). Other notable decreases were recorded in Luxembourg (-7.4 pp) and Czechia (-4.9 pp) . However, Greece saw no change in its gap during this period, while Cyprus (+2.3 pp), Bulgaria (+1.4 pp), Romania (+0.6 pp), and Italy (+0.5 pp) experienced increases.

Looking Ahead

Addressing the gender employment gap remains a key priority for the European Union. Continued efforts to promote equal opportunities, support work-life balance, and tackle the root causes of precarious employment are crucial to achieving a more equitable labor market for all. This analysis is part of a series of articles published in recognition of International Women’s Day.