Women are less often employed than men. This observation applies to the overseas departments (DOM) as well as to France. But the gap is very marked in certain overseas departments, as shown by an INSEE publication, published on November 18.
Thus, between 2021 and 2023, 66% of women in France, excluding overseas territories, were employed, compared to 71% of men, a gap of 5 points. At the same time, in Mayotte, the difference reached 13 points, with particularly low employment rates (24% for women, compared to 37% for men). But the reality of the territory is very specific.
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In Guyana, the gap is also very significant (10 points, with 38% for women and 48% for men). On the other hand, INSEE notes that the difference is less marked in Reunion (7 points). It is therefore quite similar to what we find in France. Except that employment rates are much lower (46% for women and 53% for men). Finally, in the Antilles, the differences are even smaller: 3 points in Guadeloupe and 2 points in Martinique.
Stronger withdrawal from the labor market
How can we explain these gaps between men and women? They don't care about the unemployment rate. The share of unemployed among those aged 15 to 64 is similar for men and women in these territories. On the other hand, the latter are more often inactive. Clearly, they are further removed from the labor market, particularly when the first child arrives. INSEE notes that between “Age 25 and 49, women without dependent children are as often employed as men in the same situation, or even more so in Reunion. As soon as there is a dependent child, the employment rates of women are lower than those of men in all territories and the gaps are more marked in the overseas departments than in France regardless of the number of children. ».
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And single mothers are even more impacted. In the Antilles and Reunion Island, in the presence of a child, their employment rate is 4 to 8 points lower than that of mothers in a couple. “Furthermore, the higher their number of children, the greater the gap. When they have two children over 3 years old, the gap between mothers of single parents and mothers in a couple in these territories is 15 to 21 points, and from two children including one young, the gap exceeds 25 points (respectively 9 and 15 points in France). In Guyana, employment rates remain close between single mothers and couples.
Finally, note that, as in mainland France, women work part-time more often than men, regardless of age and number of children.
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