Impact of gender discrimination on the job search strategies of redeployed public sector workers

The study finds that women do reenter the workforce more quickly than their male counterparts. but this is because women, recognizing their poor prospects in a gender discriminating labor market, are more quick than men to accept less preferred but more available non-wage employment. Within a 3-year period after leaving the public workforce, only 25% of females vs. 58% of males found wage paying positions. The study also found that individuals who receive severance pay after leaving the public sector are less likely to accept non-wage paying positions than those who are not severanced. Based on these results, several recommendations are made for mitigating the effects of private sector gender bias on redeployed women. Retrenchment programs should provide women with severance pay calibrated to cover the losses they are likely to face due to private sector gender discrimination, along with additional employment services and training, e.g., entrepreneurial training. In addition, public retrenchment programs should establish quotas to limit the inclusion of women.