Editorial Comment:

Abstract: This study focuses on the issue of substitution or segregation in the demand for female labour. Based on an extensive overview of detailed studies, the authors examine fluctuations in the gender composition of the workforce in four major sectors of Dutch manufacturing industry over the past century. Women's share in employment has been stable in the clothing industry, fluctuated in textiles, increased in food production and decreased in Philips Electronics. Changes in the proportion of women in these industries are primarily explained by segregation, that is by fluctuations in employment in the male and female domains. Only a few examples of substitution can be traced. These are primarily driven by labour shortages, and the numbers of workers involved are small. Overwhelmingly, employers prefer to act within gender boundaries.