Return to work after stroke is an important indicator of long-term quality of life and social burden, but gender and age differences in return to work rates remain poorly understood. Objective. To assess gender and age differences in willingness to engage in employment and their predictors among a large population cohort of stroke-disabled individuals in St. Petersburg. Design and methods. A retrospective study and statistical analysis of 61, 164 cases of illness with consequences of a previous stroke was conducted based on the aggregated results of reports in the EAVIAS system from 2016 to 2023 using statistical programs Excel and SPSS. Results. Among 61 164 patients (median age 64 [MM 55–72]; 54.2% men), 18 942 (31.0%) returned to work. Women were significantly less likely to be employed than men (OR - 0.63, 95% CI: 0.60–0.66; peven after accounting for clinical severity. These data highlight the need to implement gender-sensitive rehabilitation policies, workplace adaptations, and targeted vocational support programs for women who have suffered a stroke.