Modern Dutch Women: Are they unhappy in male-dominated economic sectors?

Compared to twenty years ago more women than men between the age of 25 and 34 years old complete tertiary education. However, women remain underrepresented in many high-paying, managerial and maledominated occupations. This is a cause for concern as it remains a major candidate for the existence of the residual gender wage gap. An overwhelming amount of women keep obtaining their degrees in “typical” female studies such as health and welfare. The question arises whether women and man psychologically have different tastes for the content of the work they do. There is some evidence that women are more prone to stress due to numerous factors when they work in male-dominated sectors or industries. This thesis researches the relation between the extent to which a sector is male-dominated and job satisfaction in this sector. Additionally, the relation between the share of males in a sector and the chances a worker leaves that sector after two years is investigated. The results show a significant negative relation between the share of males in a sector and job satisfaction in that sector. They also show a significant negative relation between the share of males in a sector and the chances a woman stays in that sector after two years, and a positive significant relation for men.