FLFP rates increase Country group
< World average
FLFP rates stay flat or oscillate
≥ World average
≥ World average
Near world average (48–51%)
< World average
FLFP rates decrease ≥ World average
< World average
Apparel exporters under the MFA (1990– 2000s)
Bangladesh (26– 32%), Eswatini (43–47%), Greece (37– 45%), Hungary (41–47%), Italy (34–40%), Maldives (28– 45%), Mauritius (39–46%), Pakistan (13– 24%)
Belize (36–48%); Costa Rica (36– 48%); Dominican Republic (38–50%); Haiti (58–61%); Macao SAR, China (48– 67%); Nicaragua (34–49%); Portugal (49–54%)
Cambodia (77–74%), Nepal (82–82%), Lao PDR (80–77%), Madagascar (84– 84%), Vietnam (72–73%)
Bulgaria (51–49%), El Salvador (43–45%), Fiji (40– 40%), Guatemala (40–39%), Honduras (46–48%), Indonesia (49–51%), Philippines (48–49%)
Egypt, Arab Rep. (21–22%); Jordan (12–14%); Lebanon (21– 23%); Morocco (23–23%); Sri Lanka (36–36%); Tunisia (23–25%); Turkey (31%– 31%)
China (73– 63%), Jamaica (65–57%), Lesotho (68–60%), Myanmar (61– 52%), Thailand (66–61%)
Albania (54– 46%), India (31–22%), Romania (62–45%)
Non-apparel exporters (reference countries)
Afghanistan (15–19%), Iraq (8–14%), Saudi Arabia (15–22%)
Brazil (47–53%), Chile (36–50%), Colombia (53– 58%), Ecuador (49–52%), Panama (43– 51%), Paraguay (53–56%), Qatar (46–59%)
Bahamas, The (68–68%)
Argentina (48–48%); Russian Federation (54– 55%); Venezuela, RB (47–49%)
Algeria (12–15%), Senegal (33–35%)
n.a.
n.a.
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), “Labour force participation rate by sex and age” (1990–2030) data. Note: ILO modeled estimates are of female labor force participation (FLFP) rates, 15 years of age and older, in 1995 and 2015. Bolded text indicates the seven case countries. Green-shaded columns show economies that either maintained FLFP rates at or above the world average or increased their FLFP rates to exceed the 2015 world average. Yellow-shaded columns show economies that either (a) maintained or increased their FLFP rates but remained below or near the world average, or (b) decreased FLFP rates but still exceeded the world average in 2015. Red-shaded columns show economies whose FLFP rates declined and are below the world average. The world average FLFP rate fell from 51 percent in 1995 to 48 percent in 2015. MFA = Multifiber Arrangement; n.a. = not applicable (no country in this category).
How Does an Apparel Export Strategy Fit into the Jobs-to-Careers Transition?
TABLE 4.3 FLFP Rates and Trends for Apparel Exporting and Nonexporting Economies, 1995–2015
l 99
