A Study on Female Industrial Structure and Gender Segregation of China

[ABSTRACT] In the first decade of the 21^stcentury, China achieved stable and rapid economic development, and made new progress in industrial restructuring; the modern service industry and emerging strategic industries have provided more employment opportunities for laborers including women.  To analyze the female industrial structure and gender segregation in industrial structure, data retrieved from the Third Wave Survey on The Social Status of Women in China in 2010. It was found that if viewed from the perspective of gender structures in different industries, females are mostly concentrated in sectors with lower levels of income and social security, where gender segregation and gender parity coexist. Compared with 10 years ago, the proportion of employed women in farming, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery and water conservation shows a substantial decline, while the increased ratio in wholesales and retail, and in public administration and social organizations are the two highest. The proportion of women in industries with higher degrees of monopoly is low, and the declining tendency reflects the intensified gender discrimination and gender differentiation in monopoly industries; the proportion of females in the modern service industry as well as the degree of gender parity in the industry have been increasing, making it possible for more and more women to obtain higher incomes.

[Keywords] Industrial Structure, gender Segregation, New Century of China