Insee Focus · November 2024 · n° 340

Differences in employment rates between men and women often more pronounced in the French overseas departments than in mainland France

In each French overseas department, from 2021 to 2023, women aged 15 to 64 were less often employed than men, with gaps ranging from 2 to 13 percentage points. These gaps in employment rates between men and women decreased with the level of education. They increased with the number of dependent children, and were often more pronounced in the French overseas departments than in mainland France. After age 50, employment rates dropped in Guadeloupe, Martinique and La Réunion, particularly among men. Regardless of age or number of children, women were more likely than men to work part-time in the French overseas departments as in mainland France.