Figures show that 80% of care workers are women.

Omissions

• The MEP did not specify which category of care workers the 80% figure refers to (nursing professionals, personal care workers, long-term care, childcare, or all combined). The exact percentage varies significantly by subcategory: Eurostat data typically shows around 78-82% for 'personal care workers' (ISCO 53), over 85% for long-term care workers, and around 89-90% for 'nursing and caring professionals' broadly defined in some EU reports.
• No specific time period was stated. The most reliable occupational gender breakdowns from Eurostat (EU-LFS) are typically published with a 1–2 year lag; the latest detailed data available before the session date likely reflects 2023 or 2024 reference periods. More recent 2025 data was not found for this specific occupational breakdown.
• The MEP did not cite any specific source, making precise verification of which dataset and definition was intended impossible.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat — Healthcare personnel statistics: nursing and caring professionalsEurostat data on nursing and caring professionals across EU Member States; the broad category of nursing and caring professionals consistently shows a large female majority, with women representing the overwhelming share of this workforce across all EU countries.
• PrimaryEurostat — Women in the EUIn 2025, more than 60% of all clerks and skilled service employees in the EU are women; occupational segregation by gender remains pronounced in the EU labour market, with care-related occupations among the most feminised.
• PrimaryOECD — Health at a Glance 2025: Long-term care workersData from OECD Health Statistics 2025 based on the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) confirms that long-term care remains a highly feminised sector across EU countries, with women consistently constituting the large majority of the long-term care workforce.
• SecondaryEuropean Parliament — Addressing the gender care gap (A10-0083/2026)Informal care continues to be provided primarily by women and represents a significant share of care provision in the EU; the report addresses the gender care gap and the overrepresentation of women in both formal and informal care roles.