A widely released report by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Mercer reveals females have lower labor force participation rates than males across all age groups. Throughout most of adult life, women’s participation lies around the 60-70% range, whereas the percentage of male participation is in the high 80s. Globally, half of women in their late 50s are in the labor force (compared to nearly 4 in 5 men) and in their early 60’s only a third are in the labor force (compared to nearly two-thirds of men). This pattern holds across geographies. These statistics are part of The Human Capital Report, www.mercer.com/hcindex, which assesses the quality of human capital across 122 countries. See Figure 1.
“The study brings to light the significant potential for societal and economic benefits of public and private policies that support women’s participation in the workforce,” says Patricia Milligan, Region President for North America at Mercer. “Women’s skill development and workplace inclusion translates to better child health and nutrition, and is linked to increasing investments in children’s education, especially for girls. At the other end of the lifecycle, the benefits are in greater retirement security and a reduced burden on family or government for support in old age.”
The study is slated to be completed in the fall. For more information on Mercer’s approach to Diversity and Inclusion, please visit: www.mercer.com/talent/diversity-and-inclusion.
