Determinants of Female Employment in Agriculture, Industry, and Service Sector: A cross country analysis

Globally, women are still less likely than men to enter the workforce. Since 1990, the gender gap in labour force participation has remained at 30% worldwide. Female employment is critical to economic stability and personal development, providing financial security, purpose, and societal contribution. However, technological advancements, R&D, and economic fluctuations constantly shape global employment opportunities, resulting in significant disparities across sectors. This study investigates the determinants of female employment separately for agriculture, industry, and service sectors, using data from the World Development Indicators (WDI) from 2004 to 2023. The Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) panel regression results show that different factors contribute to female employment in different sectors. Reducing the female contribution to family work and fertility ratio is important for reducing female employment in agriculture. Exports of goods and services and female self-employment are essential for increasing female employment in the industry sector. Additionally, domestic credit to the private sector, labour force participation rate, labour force with basic education, and life expectancy at birth need to be encouraged to increase female employment in the service sector. Finally, relevant policies are suggested to increase female employment for sustainable economic growth.