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Chemical industries and employment
Global employment figure
The global chemicals industry employs an estimated 14 million workers worldwide. According to UNIDO Industrial Statistics, employment figures in the industrial chemical segment in the chemical industry are estimated to have dropped from 8.8 million people in 1995 to about 8 million in 1999 (see figure below). A decline in employment therefore seems to be an overall trend. Employment figures in Western Europe and North America have been declining in the past decade, while those in Asia, except Japan, and the Middle East have been increasing. Many of the European chemical manufacturing countries have lost considerable numbers of jobs in the ten years shortly before the turn of the 21st century.
The unionized chemical workforce
Although the unionization rate in the chemicals industry is considered relatively high, the unionization rate varies from country to country. Although there are no official statistics on the current unionization in the global chemical industry, a fall in trade union membership appears to be an undeniable trend. It is reported that the unionization among white-collar workers has been increasing despite overall unionization decline.
Useful links/resources
Tables on employment and wages in the chemicals industry
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