Men hold better jobs and earn more than women
Men who are employed earn more than women, hold better jobs, and are far more likely to be managers and company directors, according to statistics and numerous studies examining gender relations. This is also a factual reality in many companies.
However, little attention is given to men who are unemployed, 157,147 of whom are registered with the National Employment Service (NSZ). Among them, 7,333 men have completed only primary education, writes Infostud.
Men’s Day, marked on 19 November, is an opportunity to evaluate and reflect on the position of men in the labour market.
Miloš Turinski, PR representative of Infostud, states that the most job opportunities, regardless of gender, are available in sectors like sales and trade, where sales assistants and commercial representatives are in high demand. In logistics and transport, the most sought-after roles are drivers and warehouse workers, followed by positions in production.
“These areas remain dominant, but there is a growing interest among men in sectors like customer support and administration. However, according to numerous surveys, men often avoid jobs that require prolonged interaction with clients. Despite this, positions like customer or telephone support are among the top 10 jobs they apply for. Additionally, there is a significant number of men who rarely consider jobs in education, social services, or healthcare, as these sectors are still perceived as ‘female-dominated’,” Turinski noted.
Based on official statistics from the NSZ, it could be concluded that men have an edge in employment opportunities, at least judging by the most in-demand professions reported by employers.
In September, among the top ten job roles with the highest number of vacancies, eight were dominated by men. The most advertised positions by far were for programmers, with 3,543 openings, followed by 1,594 for warehouse workers. Companies also sought 981 workers for loading and unloading, as well as manual labourers for civil engineering, ironworkers, truck drivers, carpenters, and assistants to ironworkers.
According to the Labour Force Survey conducted by the Serbian Statistical Office (RZS), 53 per cent of employed people in Serbia are men, while 47 per cent are women. Men dominate the construction sector, where they make up 90.8 per cent of the workforce, and agriculture, where they account for 70.2 per cent. In contrast, the ratio of men to women in service industries is almost equal.
Looking at occupational groups, men comprise 65 per cent of managers, directors, and officials, while they account for 83 per cent of tradesmen. In military occupations, the proportion of men reaches a staggering 88 per cent.
Data from the Business Registers Agency (APR) for 2023 shows that men are legal representatives or directors in 75.6 per cent of companies, while only one in four companies (24.4 per cent) is led by a woman. In terms of sole proprietorships, 66.3 per cent are owned by men. In the 15 to 64 age category, 76.6 per cent of self-employed individuals are men, compared to just 23.4 per cent of women entrepreneurs.
When it comes to earnings, the publication Women and Men in the Republic of Serbia 2023 by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia notes that women earn, on average, 8.8 per cent less than men. However, this wage gap is even more pronounced at lower levels of education.
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