Social Sustainability

Sticky Floor

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Definition

The sticky floor describes labour market patterns in which women (and often other disadvantaged groups) remain concentrated in low-paid, low-status jobs with little prospect of advancement — "stuck" at the bottom of the occupational ladder while the glass ceiling blocks progress at the top. Causes include occupational segregation, part-time and care penalties, lack of training access, and discrimination in promotion from entry-level positions; the effect is measured by gender gaps that are widest at the bottom of the wage distribution.

References

www.ilo.orgBulk import source

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This reference provides supporting context for how “Sticky Floor” is defined and used.

Overview

How it is used

The concept structures gender pay gap analysis, minimum wage and care economy policy, and labour market research on occupational segregation.

Why it matters

Equality is not only about who reaches the top; the sticky floor is where most gendered economic inequality is actually lived.