Employment Rates of Men and Women Aged 60-64 in Four Countries (1970 and 2000)

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Combination : Bar Graph

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Question

The graphs below show the percentage of men and women aged 60-64 who were employed in four countries in 1970 and 2000.

127 - Employment Rates of Men and Women Aged 60-64 in Four Countries (1970 and 2000)

Common questions for the employment graph

1. Graph Type: Column graph (bar chart).

2. Title: Employment Rates of Men and Women Aged 60-64 in Four Countries (1970 and 2000)

3. What are the units of measurement?: Percentage of employed men and women aged 60-64.

4. Who: The data compares employment rates among men and women aged 60-64 in four countries: Belgium, the USA, Japan, and Indonesia.

5. When: The data spans two years, 1970 and 2000.

6. Where: The countries being compared are Belgium, the USA, Japan, and Indonesia.

7. Topic: The graph shows changes in employment rates for men and women aged 60-64 in four countries across a 30-year period.

Process Showing and Trends

Comparison 1: Employment Rates in 1970

• The USA had the highest employment rates for both men (86%) and women (78%) in 1970. Indonesia followed closely behind, with 84% of men and 65% of women employed. In Belgium, 79% of men and 64% of women were working. Japan had the lowest rates, with 76% of men and 56% of women employed.

Comparison 2 : Employment Rates in 2000

By 2000, employment rates for both men and women had decreased in all four countries. The USA saw a decrease of 8% for men and 33% for women. Indonesia experienced a decline of 10% for men and 15% for women. In Japan, the percentage of employed men dropped by 13%, while the decrease for women was 9%. Belgium faced the steepest drop, with 27% fewer men employed and a dramatic 55% drop in the number of women employed.

Comparison 3 : Gender Differences

• In 1970, men consistently had higher employment rates than women across all countries. This trend remained in 2000, although the gender gap had widened in some countries, especially in Belgium and the USA, where women’s employment decreased significantly.

Sample Answer

The given column graphs compare the percentages of employed men and women aged 60-64 in four countries (Belgium, the USA, Japan, and Indonesia) in 1970 and 2000.

In 1970, the USA had the highest employment rates for both men (86%) and women (78%). Indonesia followed, with 84% of men and 65% of women employed. Belgium had 79% of men and 64% of women working, while Japan had the lowest rates, with 76% of men and 56% of women employed.

By 2000, employment rates had dropped in all countries. In the USA, the employment rate for men fell by 8%, and for women, it decreased by 33%. Indonesia saw a decrease of 10% for men and 15% for women. Japan’s figures dropped by 13% for men and 9% for women. Belgium experienced the most significant decline, with 27% fewer men employed and a massive 55% decrease in the number of employed women.

Overall, the data shows that the year 2000 marked a period of economic downturn, with the most substantial impact on employment rates among women, particularly in Belgium and the USA.

Top 26 Vocabularies

Vocabulary	Meaning	Synonyms	Examples	Type
Brunt	The main force or impact	Impact, weight	“The biggest brunt of the recession was faced by Belgian women, with a 55% decrease in employment.”	Noun
Decline	A decrease or reduction	Decrease, drop	“By 2000, the percentage of employed men and women declined in all four countries.”	Noun
Recession	A period of economic decline	Downturn, slump	“The year 2000 witnessed a period of recession in all the four countries.”	Noun
Dramatic	Sudden and extreme	Striking, significant	“Belgium faced the steepest dramatic drop in the number of employed women, with a 55% decrease.”	Adjective
Widened	To become broader or more extensive	Expanded, increased	“The gender gap in employment widened in the USA and Belgium in 2000.”	Verb
Comparison	The act of analyzing differences or similarities	Contrast, juxtaposition	“The comparison of employment rates between the countries highlights distinct patterns.”	Noun
Decreased	Became smaller or less	Reduced, diminished	“By 2000, the employment rate for women decreased significantly in Belgium.”	Verb
Employment	The state of having a job or being employed	Work, occupation	“Employment rates were high in the USA in 1970 but dropped by 2000.”	Noun
Decline	A downward trend or reduction in number or quality	Decrease, drop	“The overall employment decline was more noticeable for women.”	Noun/Verb
Diminished	Became smaller or weaker	Decreased, reduced	“Japan’s employment rates diminished for both genders by 2000.”	Verb
Significant	Important or meaningful in size or effect	Noteworthy, considerable	“Belgium saw a significant decline in the employment of women.”	Adjective
Drop	A reduction or fall in amount or quality	Decline, decrease	“There was a noticeable drop in women’s employment in Belgium.”	Noun/Verb
Gender gap	The difference between men and women in terms of access, opportunities, etc.	Gender disparity, difference	“The gender gap in employment grew in Belgium and the USA by 2000.”	Noun
Substantial	Large in amount, degree, or importance	Considerable, significant	“The USA experienced a substantial decrease in women’s employment rates.”	Adjective
Impact	The effect or influence of one thing on another	Effect, consequence	“The economic downturn had a considerable impact on women’s employment.”	Noun
Economic downturn	A period when economic activity is slowing or declining	Recession, slump	“The year 2000 marked an economic downturn in all four countries.”	Noun
Recession	A period of economic decline, typically lasting for months or years	Downturn, contraction	“The recession affected the employment rates for both genders in all countries.”	Noun
Fluctuation	Irregular changes or variations	Variation, oscillation	“There were fluctuations in the employment rates in all four countries.”	Noun
Workforce	The group of people engaged in work or employment	Employees, labor force	“The decline in workforce participation was particularly evident among women.”	Noun
Observations	Statements or conclusions based on data or analysis	Findings, remarks	“The observations highlight that women were most affected by employment declines.”	Noun
High	Above the average or standard level	Elevated, prominent	“In 1970, the USA had the highest employment rates for both men and women.”	Adjective
Lowest	The smallest or least in amount, degree, or quality	Smallest, bottom	“Japan had the lowest employment rates among the four countries in 1970.”	Adjective
Affect	To influence or make an impact on something	Influence, change	“The recession greatly affected employment rates in all countries.”	Verb
Marked	Clearly noticeable or significant	Pronounced, noticeable	“Belgium experienced a marked drop in women’s employment.”	Adjective
Significance	The quality of being important or meaningful	Importance, weight	“The significance of the employment drop in Belgium cannot be overstated.”	Noun

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