The bar chart illustrates the percentage of Australian men and women aged 18 to 34 who were employed in two specific years: 1976 and 1988.
Overall, men consistently had higher employment rates than women in both years, although their figures saw a decline. In contrast, the proportion of employed women increased noticeably during this period.
In 1976, 78% of men in the specified age group were employed. This figure decreased somewhat by 1988, falling to 71%. This indicates a reduction of 7 percentage points over the twelve-year period.
For women, the employment rate was 52% in 1976. By 1988, this had risen significantly to 65%. While still lower than men's employment in 1988, this represents a substantial increase and a narrowing of the gap between the genders.