Occupations, Labour force survey, 2000-2001

Professionals and technicians are occupations that require an education from universities or colleges. The first group increased by 22 000 to 262 000 employed persons, technicians and associate professionals increased by 13 000 to 523 000 employed persons, while the number of persons employed as managers was 162 000, an increase of 10 000.

Male and female occupations

It seems that young women today choose to work in the same occupations as their mothers did. Working, as a shop staff, as a nurse, as a nursing assistant or as a teacher are still the most common female occupations.

Typical female occupations such as cleaners in offices etc. and secretaries are not so popular any more among younger women, aged 25-39, as it still is for grown-up women.

Young men tend towards working as computer designers and technicians, then as carpenters etc.. For the middle-aged men the situation is vice versa. Elderly men are often employed as carpenters etc., and also as teachers and farmers.

Women working full-time as teachers or nurses

43 per cent of the employed women work part-time, while only 11 per cent of the men do.

Typical part-time occupations are female ones. Cleaners in offices etc. are the female occupation with the highest part-time employment rate of 67 per cent, while 64 per cent of the female staff shop is a part-time worker.

Women working full-time are employed as teachers or nurses. Of all female teachers 68 per cent work full time, while 56 per cent of the nurses do the same.

Men generally work full-time and there are only small differences between the occupations.

Private and public sector and occupations

In general men work in the private sector, while women work in the public sector. Of all employed in the private sector, 63 per cent were men, and of all employed in the public sector 66 per cent were women.

In the private sector men dominate occupations such as managers, professionals and technicians and associate professionals. In the public sector there are mostly female professionals and technicians and associate professionals, but not managers.

Revised figures

The figures for 2000 are revised in order to be comparable with the figures for 2001. There has been a change in the coding procedures of managers in 2001. Due to this some of the managers in enterprises with less than 5 employees have been recoded not to be managers any more. In addition other corrections have been made.