Jump to main content
IndustriALL logotype
Article placeholder image

Long hours keep jobs segregated by gender

Read this article in:

  • English

14 May, 2013A new study carried out at Indiana University, USA, has concluded that the culture of working overtime leads to keeping jobs segregated by gender.

The study, Overwork and the Persistence of Gender Segregation in Occupations, published in the journal Gender and Society, found that “the norm of overwork in male-dominated workplaces and the gender beliefs operating in the family combine to reinforce gender segregation of the labor market.”

The study claims that even women who make more money than their spouses spend more time with their children. Yet male-dominated jobs, and they are still better paid than those where women work, demand long hours of workers. Lawyers or doctors are expected to show total commitment, and even blue-collar jobs are demanding in terms of overtime. Women who are expected to put in more hours and still take care of the family are less likely to stay in these male-dominated fields.

In addition the study finds that women who work in jobs dominated by men have less social support on the job. The study determined that the longest hours were worked in those jobs where women made up less than 10 percent of the workforce. On the other hand those jobs where women made up 70 percent or more of the employees averaged about 35 hours a week. About 20 percent of men worked 50 hours a week or more, compared to 13 percent of women, and 14 percent of women worked part-time, compared to 6 percent of men.

Fully integrated workplaces would mean that 40 percent of men and women would have to change jobs. Then perhaps women’s experiences and aspirations would be reflected better in policies and practices.