Romania was among the leading countries in the European Union in terms of female presence in executive positions (34%) in 2021. Medicine, Education, HR, and Marketing are also dominated by women, according to a new report by the online recruitment platform BestJobs.

"The profile of female candidates in the labor market is characterized by caution," says the report, which indicates that women apply for jobs where the degree of fit is over 70%, compared to men who take more risks.

After the salary, the package of benefits is considered the most important criterion in job advertisements in the eyes of female candidates, who mainly seek job stability. Other benefits female jobseekers in Romania look for in a new job include flexibility or a high degree of understanding from the employer, as well as proximity to their place of residence.

Nearly 54% of BestJobs candidates are women. However, the employment rate is still higher among male candidates both nationally and in EU member states. In Romania, the proportion of women among the total number of people employed in the labor market is 46.4%, according to data from the National Employment Agency. In December 2022, the unemployment rate for adults (25-74 years old) was estimated at 4.4% (4.1% for women and 4.6% for men), according to INS data.

A larger number of women work in fields or departments where interpersonal skills, empathy, and care for others are essential, such as the medical field (positions for medical assistants, doctors, pharmacists), Human Resources, and Education (especially jobs as educators and positions in primary education), according to BestJobs data cited by News.ro.

In the 2021-2022 school year, 82.4% of teaching positions in pre-university education were held by women, while 90% of medical assistants with higher education between 2010-2021 were also women. Other fields where women predominantly apply are Marketing & Communication, Customer Support, or other administrative positions. Most candidates on the platform also have experience in areas such as Sales, Production/Logistics, Management, Administrative, Transportation, Tourism, and Finance/Accounting.

Domains that are usually attributed to men, such as IT, are becoming increasingly interesting for women. According to Eurostat, Romania is among the leading countries in terms of the percentage of women in the IT sector, ranking third in the EU, with 26.2% of IT&C specialists being women.

"There is a complex debate at the European level about the division of professional domains by gender. As we also see on BestJobs, women have a natural tendency to choose stable, flexible jobs close to home or remote, because this package allows them to take care of household or parental responsibilities for which they feel more responsible. In contrast, men are more likely to spend extra hours at the office and fight for promotion, even at the cost of reduced involvement in household or childcare activities. These patterns of behavior lead to professional segregation, and even though there are currently no limits on what a woman can achieve professionally, the fight for career advancement is still unequal,” says Ana Vişian, marketing manager of BestJobs.

“Additionally, innate abilities prepare women more for jobs in education, healthcare, or communication, and men for technical and more competitive fields,” she adds.

Last but not least, gender equality in leadership positions is constantly increasing. Specifically, in 2012, the proportion of women holding management roles in listed companies was 30.5%, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality, and in 2021, Romania was among the leading countries in the European Union in terms of female presence in executive positions (34%).

However, women still face inequalities at the societal level, generated by maternity leave and household responsibilities, which often fall on them.

At the pre-university education level, the gender balance is equal, according to INS data. As the educational level increases, the balance shifts. Thus, in the 2021-2022 academic year, 54.8% of students enrolled in undergraduate programs, and 57.7% of those enrolled in master's, courses, and postgraduate studies and advanced research programs are female.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Mariia Boiko | Dreamstime.com)