Since the end of the 1990s until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the activity rate of women aged 15 to 64 increased slightly but steadily. During the same period, the activity rate of men of the same age first registered a slight decline and since 2004 it has levelled off. The lower activity rate of young women compared to that of men of the same age is attributable to the fact that they are more likely to be in full-time studies than men. The employment rate also remains lower in later years because some women (temporarily) leave the labour market to devote themselves to their family.
