Gendered Pathways to Employability in Developing Economy: Evidence from Logistics Regression and Oaxaca-Blinder Decomposition of Gender Differences

Abstract

Using data from the wave 5 of the General Household Survey (GHS) data, this paper investigates gender inequalities in skills acquisition and labour market outcomes among youth in Nigeria. The paper employs three set of procedures; logistic regression, OLS and Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition for the analysis. The study reveals that while there is no statistically significant gender inequality in skill acquisition (through apprenticeship participation), inequalities actually exist in earnings and employment opportunities. Specifically, the result of the analysis shows that young women are 44% less likely to be employed and also earn approximately 39% lower than men. Decomposition results further showed that this earnings gap is driven not by differences in human capital endowments but primarily by structural factors and discrimination. The study therefore concluded that apprenticeships and education are vital for employment but fail to ensure equitable outcomes. Therefore, this study recommended that policy interventions must move beyond gender-blind approaches to actively correct structural barriers and promote female participation in high-return sectors to achieve meaningful inclusive growth.