From Financial Crisis to Pandemic: Gender Discrimination and Employment Inequality among Female Workers

Throughout recent global shocks, the economy was impacted by recessions and widespread unemployment caused by quarantine measures and social restrictions, with the tertiary service and healthcare sectors being the most severely impacted. This study, based on secondary data, summarizes the effects of the economic downturn on the labor market and analyzes employment trends and inequalities among female workers. Using data from the International Labour Organization (ILO), it examines gender consistency, employment biases against women, and underlying causes of inequality from sociological and ethical perspectives. The results indicate that the unemployment wave triggered by the economic recession is not directly correlated with impacts on womens employment. Instead, the main factors contributing to female unemployment are the need for flexible working hours and the time costs associated with childcare. To lower the risk of unemployment among women, targeted employment policy support should be provided at the policy level, while female workers need to enhance their competitiveness, such as by acquiring digital or AI-related skills, to adapt to the changing labor market.