A Gender characteristics of the sample that is characteristics originating from the composition of groups of men and women are important from the point of view of wage differences.

The main characteristics of Bérbarométer sample and its gender based differences
Regional differences

We can see a heavy difference by regions in the occupational activity of men and women: occupational activity of active-age women oscillates between 55 and 45% in Hungary (55% in the Central Region and 45% in the Region of the Northern Plain)
Sectoral differences
More than three-quarter of men work in the private sector and only 20 percent works in the public sector. A much lower percent of women (66%) works in the private sector. The rate of women working in the public sector is one and a half times bigger than that of men.

„Womanly” and „manly” industries

• Womanly” industries: health and social care; financial sector; education.
• „Manly” industries: wood processing, building industry, agriculture, mining, machine and equipment manufacturing, electric machinery and vehicle manufacturing.

„Womanly” and „manly” occupational groups

• „Womanly” occupational groups: office and client service occupations; other occupations based on high or secondary education degrees.
• „Manly” occupational groups: Agricultural and sylvicultural occupations; machine operators, assemblers, and drivers.

Employee/entrepreneur
Women tend to be employees rather than entrepreneurs: women rather chose traditional employee jobs than entrepreneur jobs.
Differences based on educational levels

Educational degrees: Men’s rate is higher in only one group that is skilled workers’ group. Women are well qualified.
Physical/intellectual worker
Among physical workers we find more men than women.
The rate of women working in intellectual, administrative occupations is double of men’s rate (48% compared to 24% of men).

Employee/Manager
Men’s rate (15%) in managerial positions is almost double of that of women (8%).
Educational degree/status

Managerial position
Women with a university degree have more chance to get into a managerial position. According to Bérbarométer database 42% of women work as manager compared to 36% of men. Conversely, 17% of women with a college degree are in managerial position compared to that of 31% of men. Thus, having a college degree is a less guarantee for women to get into a managerial position than for men.

Educational degree/status
Intellectual administrative position
Women with high-school graduation are in better position concerning workplace status: more than half of women with high-school graduation work in an intellectual, administrative position. Conversely, 42% of men with a high-school graduation work as a physical worker.

Personal carrier/number of workplaces
19% of men and 20% of women never changed their workplace and still work at their first workplace. 50% of men, a little more than 50% of women changed at least twice their workplace.

Having children/ having no children
75% of women, 71% of men have children. The rate of women raising their children alone is 16 points higher than that of men. The rate of women with more children is also higher than that of men. This makes fulfilling work responsibilities more difficult and worsens labor market flexibility.


According to Bérbarométer research having children plays the most important role in the development of wage differences.