Female employment in the multinational electronics industry in Ireland's south‐west planning region

Abstract

Since the early 1970s, Ireland has become a preferred location within Western Europe for the establishment of multinational firms in high‐tech sectors. This influx has had profound implications for the gender structure of manufacturing employment in the south‐west planning region of Ireland. The multinational electronics industry, in particular, has emerged as one of the leading generators of employment growth for women. Furthermore, women comprise the majority of the workforce within the industry. Despite this, occupational segregation on the basis of gender remains a key feature associated with the employment structure in Ireland's multinational electronics industry. This paper addresses this issue within Ireland's south‐west planning region.

Key index words:

• Electronics
• female employment
• south‐west Ireland