Abstract:

Gender equality is one of the fundamental pillars of democratic societies, and the gender gap is the main problem to be solved. Among the possible factors causing it, the level of education stands out as a key aspect for its eradication, although it is worth considering whether the same education for graduates implies the same working conditions for both genders. To answer this question, the present study aims to analyze the labor insertion of graduates from the Degree in Labor Relations and Human Resources (LRHR), and verify the possible existence of differences between women and men in their working conditions. In the research, and paying attention to gender, it also seeks to corroborate whether the greater or lesser success of students in obtaining their university degree is reflected in better or worse working conditions.

To achieve these objectives, a database was used, developed through a survey sent to graduates on the social network LinkedIn, as well as information provided by the Data Management Service (SEGEDA) of the University of Zaragoza.

When analyzing the performance of students in the LRHR, women achieve greater academic success, reflected in a higher graduation rate, efficiency, evaluation, and performance, as well as a lower percentage of interruption of their studies, dropout, and average duration of the Degree compared to men.

Despite these favorable academic results, the working conditions of women differ in some important aspects from those of men. Although the level of labor insertion is high and similar for both genders, there are notable divergences in the characteristics of the jobs. Firstly, women have a greater presence in leadership positions (executives and managers) and in positions of lower qualification (mainly developed part-time or by the hour), with graduates mostly occupying technical positions. Secondly, there is a lower level of net monthly income for female graduates. This circumstance is largely due to the type of working hours they have, although when analyzing full-time contracts, the feared wage gap persists. This reality leads female graduates to express a lower degree of satisfaction with their employment, logically derived from their worse working conditions.

The work also highlights the importance of training in gender equality, emphasizing how the promotion of equitable practices from the training stage can positively influence the labor insertion of graduates. With a higher academic performance and/or a greater realization of training activities by women, common sense would lead us to think that the best jobs and, therefore, the highest remunerations, are destined for them, theoretically the best prepared. However, the present analysis contradicts this logic by showing that their working conditions are inferior to those of men, perpetuating the wage gap even in full-time contracts. Therefore, there is a need to plan specific actions to address these inequalities, not only at the educational level but also through structural reforms in the labor market. This study clearly illustrates that, although education is a fundamental pillar to promote gender equality, it must be complemented with labor policies that recognize and equitably value the talent and contribution of all genders.

Keywords:

Gender equality, Gender gap, Labor market, Working conditions.