Abstract:

Decent work and gender equality are two goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that are important for the process of lifelong career development. This process starts early in life and with the increase of inequalities and a more complex world of work, the need for an integrated response from education alongside career psychological intervention are urgent for all generations. Millenials are one of the youngest generations currently in the labor market facing the challenges of a changing world, with emerging jobs, increasing precarious work, and demanding qualified jobs. Different theories have highlighted the importance of contextual factors in people's career development, so it is important to understand how one of the youngest generational cohorts perceives their ability to obtain and maintain decent work. Also, decent work, defined as productive work for all men and women, is especially relevant at a time of crisis, when inequalities tend to be accentuated. For this reason, it is important to understand the impact of gender in the perceived decent work of Millenials, to design better responses in educational and career fields. The present study aims to analyse the precursor effect of gender on decent work in Portuguese Millenials. There were 452 participants (78.98% women) aged between 21 and 39 years old (M = 30.23; DP = 5.03). Participants answered a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Decent Work Scale – Portuguese Version, with five subscales concerning safe work conditions, access to healthcare, adequate compensation, adequate free and rest time, and organizational values that complement social and family values. Results from six simple linear regression analysis indicate that gender contribute to decent work perception, in general, and to perception of access to adequate health care, in a statistical way. Specifically, men have a higher perception of decent work and access to health care than women. These results reflect what has been a concern within the decent work for all, as well as gender equality and education. Suggestions for future studies are discussed, as well as opportunities for career psychological intervention and career education programmes that support the promotion of access to decent work for all genders and future generations.

Keywords:

Decent Work, Gender, Career Development, Millenials, Career Education.