The formal sectors of the economy, on average, present a difference of approximately 20% between men’s and women’s salaries – women being the ones who receive the lowest amounts.
However, the evolution of the market and the specialization and valorization of female labor have brought about changes in some sectors. According to the National Industry Conference (CNI), in some industrial sectors, such as construction, women’s average salaries can exceed men’s by up to 36%. Another sector that showed good earnings for women is the manufacturing of petroleum products and biofuels – with salaries, on average, 17% higher than those of men.
“In the assessment of the manager of Studies and Prospection of CNI, Márcio Guerra, the change indicates that these sectors are taking advantage of the higher education and qualification of the female portion of the population. Data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) show that women’s schooling has increased significantly in the last decade and has already surpassed that of men. In 2008, in the urban area, the average schooling level of working Brazilian women was 9.2 years of study, while men’s was 8.2. ”
– National Industry Conference (CNI)
Besides those mentioned, three other industry sectors value female labor. With them, the list of sectors in which women receive higher salaries (%) is:
Building construction – 36% more
Manufacture of petroleum products and biofuels – 17% more
Extraction of metallic minerals – 8% more
Mining of mineral coal – 7% more
Water collection, treatment, and distribution – 6% more
The labor market, in many sectors, suffers from a lack of skilled labor. And it is from this shortage that female workers have been conquering their opportunities.