Question

The fall in formal sector employment has had important -- usually negative -- consequences for the people concerned. It has frequently led to a decline in individual and family income, social exclusion, and a worsening of the life chances of their children. . . .The decline in employment has disproportionately affected women. In general, the decline in female employment has been larger – in some cases very much larger -- than the decline in male employment. For example, in the Czech Republic, between 1985 and 1997, the decline in female employment (11.8 per cent) was almost 10 times the decline in male employment (1.2 per cent).

According to the excerpt, how were women affected by the shift in employment?

Women were more likely than men to lose their jobs.
Women were less likely than men to lose their jobs.
Women and men lost their jobs at about the same rate.
Women were more likely to find a job than men.

Answer 1

Women were more likely than men to lose their jobs.

The passage says the decline in female employment was generally larger than the decline in male employment (example: Czech Republic 11.8% vs 1.2%).