The chances of finding a job are 1.5 times higher for men than for women in Georgia, according to new research from Georgian research group the Centre for Social Sciences (CSS). The study focused on the connection between education and employment.

Slightly over a third (37%) of men who participated in the research were employed, while only 30% of female participants had a job.

The research, shared with OC Media by the CSS, showed that the average monthly salaries of men who participated in the research were 55% higher than women’s.

According to the study, those with a bachelor’s degree are three times more likely to find a job than those with only a secondary education.

The research suggested that a master’s degree, instead of being a prerequisite for finding a job with better salary, is a prerequisite for finding a job in general. It claimed every additional year of formal education increases average monthly salaries by 9% for women and 11% for men.

The research said that Georgia has an ageing population, and wrote that it directly reflects the age distribution of the workforce.

The majority of employees (65%) received secondary and higher education during the country's Soviet period and immediately after. The research claimed the education system is the leading sector of employment in which workforce ageing is evident.

The analysis is based on quantitative research conducted by the CSS in 2016 of World Bank data from 2013. The research was funded by the Open Society Georgia Foundation.