Fields of education, gender and the labour market

More and more adults are earning a tertiary qualification, but not all tertiary degrees have the same value on the labourmarket. In general, postgraduate degrees such as master’s and doctoral degrees are associated with higher employmentrates and earnings than bachelor’s degrees. Labour market outcomes also vary by field of education. Some fields of educationdiffer markedly in their gender composition, reflecting the sex-typing of occupations and gender stereotypes. Graduates’field of education is closely related with their occupational choices therefore a better understanding of gender disparities inthis area can help to identify some of the mechanisms that lie behind gender differences in the labour market and beyond.