DYNAMICS OF FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT ? THE ABSORPTION INDEX

In recent decades there is constant growth of female enrolment in the higher education in Europe, but it is generally observed that such trend is not reflected in the labour market. The goal of this paper is to present the Absorption Index (AI) as an indicator for dynamic comparison of female participation in tertiary education and their later participation in work force. The main purpose for introducing this indicator is to identify the countries with successful labour markets when it comes to the employment of women with tertiary education. The general conclusion is that the growth of female students is faster than employment growth and as a consequence there is increasing number of unemployed female with tertiary education in the labour market.