Global Gender Gap Report 202557Data also reveals new career pathways, for women and men alike, with some differences. With longer work lives and career spans, in addition to increasing care loads, workers are facing careers that are more cyclical, marked by lateral moves, sector transitions and re-entry after breaks. Linkedin research shows that women, in fact, are 55.2% more likely to take career breaks than men and spend longer time away from work – on average, 19.6 months compared to 13.9 months. 7 While men and women cite similar reasons for stepping back, women are far more likely to name full-time parenting as the driver, as Figure 2.8 shows. These breaks carry long-term economic costs: they shrink lifetime earnings, widen pension gaps and weaken economic security into retirement. % Men Note Averages for 59 economies: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong SAR, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay and Venezuela. Source LinkedIn Economic Graph Research Institute.% WomenGender gaps in career breaks, by type of break, selected economies, 2024 FIGURE 2.8 Share of workers5 0 10 15 20 25 30Bereavement Career transitionCaregivingFull-time parentingGap yearHealth and well-beingLayoff/position eliminatedPersonal goal pursuitProfessional developmentRelocationRetirementTravelVoluntary work Care work sits at the centre of this challenge—but also presents economies around the world with an opportunity. Contributing directly to nonlinear career trajectories are insufficient, inaccessible and unaffordable care services that force women to step off their career paths and into caring roles. The shortage of care professionals also contributes to this phenomenon, despite care being one of the few sectors resilient to automation. While AI and augmentation are expected to transform up to 60% of today’s jobs, care work is expected to remain human-centric. 8 Globally, the care economy is worth at least over six times the value of the space economy. 9 Yet governments and businesses remain slow to position care as a core pillar of workforce planning and economic productivity. Age-group data shows that in 2025, women ages 16-28 hold 34.8% of leadership roles, while women ages 61-79 years represent just 18.6%. This suggests generational change is beginning, but not yet widespread or systemic. As the nature of work shifts – driven by demographic trends, economic restructuring and technological change – so must our understanding of what successful career paths look like in this new context. Moving towards a recognition of non-linear career pathways can be a strategic shift towards building a more resilient, equitable workforce for tomorrow. Unlike the rigid, upward-only model of conventional career progression, considering careers in non-linear terms can valorise diverse experiences and flexible re-entry points, benefiting workers who are temporarily disengaged from the workforce and the global economy.

GGGR 2025