Womens Employment in England: insights from local labour market analysis Sue Yeandle University of Leeds Co- Director, CIRCLE Centre for International.

Women’s Employment in England:

insights from local labour market analysis

Sue YeandleUniversity of Leeds

Co- Director, CIRCLE

Centre for International Research on Care, Labour and Equalities

Gender, class employment and family international conference, 27-28 March 2008, City University, London

Outline of Presentation

The GELLM Research Programme Local level evidence of women’s labour market

disadvantage: why it matters Myths, problems and puzzles Key findings about….

Access to employment for women Degrees, senior jobs and ethnicity Part-time work and working below potential

Tackling women’s labour market disadvantage

The Gender and Employment in Local Labour Markets Research Programme

Funded 2003-6 by European Social Fund, 12 English local authorities, the TUC and the EOC

GELLM reports (published during grant period) Forthcoming book: “Policy for a Change: local

labour market analysis and gender equality (autumn 2008, Policy Press)

Team: Sue Yeandle, Lisa Buckner, Cinnamon Bennett, Karen Escott, Linda Grant, Christopher Price, Lucy Shipton, Anu Suokas, Bernadette Stiell, Ning Tang

Stage 1 GELLM output: 12 Gender Profiles Gender disaggregated data covering:

Demographics Educational attainment Employment trends and labour market behaviour

Job growth/decline (FT/PT) Economic activity Occupation / sector Travel-to-work data

The gender pay gap Unemployment and economic inactivity Ethnicity Work-life balance

Flexible working Parental and carers’ roles Service provision

Lisa Buckner, Sue Yeandle et al, 2004,05,06

Stage 2 GELLM output6 Local Research Studies

1. Working Below Potential: women and part-time work Studied in Camden, Leicester, Thurrock, Trafford, Wakefield, West Sussex

– Linda Grant et al 2005,20062. Connecting Women with the Labour Market

Studied in Birmingham, Camden, Sandwell, Thurrock, Wakefield - Linda Grant et al, 2006

3. Ethnic Minority Women and Access to the Labour Market Studied in Camden, Leicester, Thurrock, Newcastle, Somerset, Southwark

– Sue Yeandle, B Stiell et al, 2006 4. Career Development for Women in Local Authorities

Studied in Leicester, Sandwell, Southwark, Wakefield – Cinnamon Bennett et al, 2006

5. Addressing Women’s Poverty: local labour market initiatives Studied in Birmingham, East Staffordshire, Newcastle, Somerset,

Southwark, West Sussex – Karen Escott et al, 20066. Local Challenges in Meeting Demand for Domiciliary Care

Studied in Birmingham, Newcastle, Sandwell, Somerset, Thurrock, West Sussex – Sue Yeandle et al, 2006

Research and methods in GELLM

Statistical analysis (2001Census and many other sources) Surveys of employers and of employees

responses from over 2000 women responses from over 100 employers

Face to Interviews women workers, employers/managers, trade unions, local

stakeholders

Focus groups with women Arts-based workshops Documentary analysis

Why local level analysis matters Most people – and especially mature women –

work ‘close to home’ Local labour market opportunities – and the nature

and pace of change – differ from place to place, affecting the structure of opportunity at both the industrial and occupational level

Population characteristics vary from place to place – age, ethnicity, movement/migration, health and wealth, household and family structure

The infrastructure supporting paid employment varies – transport; childcare; adult care services; information/advice/guidance; skills and training; education

Why local level analysis matters

In England 55% of women work either at home or within 5km of where they live 65% of those working PT 48% of those working FT)

This varies from place to place: for example…. In Leicester, 77% of women work at/very close to

home (81% of PT workers, 75% of FT workers) In Thurrock, 46% of women work at/very close to home

(61% PT workers, 36% of FT workers) (Source: 2001 Census SAM)

Approach

Myths about women in employment which have wide currency and have influenced policy

Puzzles where there are competing theoretical positions or gaps in understanding

Problems which have been tackled at the practical or theoretical level (or both), but which have not gone away Access to employment for women Degrees, senior jobs and ethnicity Part-time work and working below potential

Access to employment for women 1.4 million women in England want but cannot

gain paid work Particular problem in poorer communities

In some wards women’s unemployment rates are 4 times the national average

For some ethnic groups 8 times higher Women themselves care deeply about this:

I feel terrible about not working. I’m very conscious of it. I really do feel it. It would be nice to provide for myself and my children.

Also costly for local and national economies, damaging for households and communities, inefficient for local employers.

Economic inactivity and unemployment amongst women of working age, 2001

England

Unemployed women (% econ. Act.)

4

Economically inactive women

29Birmingham 7 39

Camden 7 36

East Staffs 4 28

Newcastle 5 37

Sandwell 7 35

Somerset 3 26

Southwark 8 34

Thurrock 5 27

Wakefield 5 31

West Sussex 2 25

Unemployment rate (as proportion of

economically active women of working age)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Ast

on

Lady

woo

d

Soh

o

BIR

MIN

GH

AM

Gos

pel O

ak

Hav

esto

ck

Ken

tish

Tow

n

CA

MD

EN

Ang

lese

y

Eto

n P

ark

Sho

bnal

l

EA

ST

ST

AF

FS

Byk

er

Mon

kche

ster

Wal

ker

NE

WC

AS

TLE

St

Pau

ls

Soh

o an

d V

icto

ria

SA

ND

WE

LL

Ham

p

Syd

enha

m

Vic

toria

SO

ME

RS

ET

Cha

ucer

Eas

t W

alw

orth

New

ingt

on

SO

UT

HW

AR

K

Ave

ley

& U

plan

ds

Gra

ys R

iver

side

Wes

t T

hurr

ock

& S

outh

Stif

ford

TH

UR

RO

CK

Fer

ry F

ryst

on

Gla

ssho

ught

on

Whi

twoo

d

WA

KE

FIE

LD

Hot

ham

Mar

ine

Pev

ense

y

WE

ST

SU

SS

EX

EN

GLA

ND

Per

cent

age

of e

cono

mic

ally

act

ive

wom

en

Source (this and previous slide): 2001 Census Standard Tables, Crown Copyright 2003

Women who want paid workEconomically

inactive but want work

Unemployed UE + EI who want to work

Birmingham 18% 8% 33,000

Camden 34% 7% 6,000

Sandwell 22% 8% 10,500

Thurrock 27% 4% 4,200

Wakefield 29% 2% 7,300

England 23% 4% 1,375,400Data relates to women aged 16-59Source: ONS, Annual Population Survey, December 2004 – March 2005, Crown Copyright.

Economic Activity status of women aged 25-39: England/selected districts

3849

37 37 40 39 3547

4047

37 40 41

197 29

21 21 23 32 11 2623

30 27 242 5

2

1 2 13

31

22 3 2

13

2

1 1 13

21

22 3

25

43

4 4 53

63

23 2

31

21

2 1 11

3 01

0 1 1

00

0

0 0 00

0 00

0 0 03

6 13 3 1

1 6 12

1 1 222

15 1821 18 20

18 15 2215

1719 18

3 2 23 4 3

3 2 2 3 4 2 36 5 3 6 5 5 2 5 3 3 4 2 4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100B

irm

ingham

Cam

den

E S

taff

s

Leic

este

r

New

cas

lte

Sandw

ell

Som

ers

et

South

wark

Thur

rock

Tra

fford

Wakefiel

d

West

Suss

ex

Engla

nd

Perc

enta

ge

of

wom

en a

ged 2

5-3

9

Other

Sick/disabled

Home/family

Student

Retired

Full-time student

Unemployed

Self-emplyed part-time

Self-employed full-time

Employee part-time

Employee full-time

Source: 2001 Census SARs, Crown copyright 2004. This work is based on the SARs provided through the Centre for Census and Survey Research of the University of Manchester with the support of ESRC and JISC

Qualifications of women aged 25-34:

England/selected districts

26

11 1527

1827

12 13 915

24

10 14

49

25

6447

47

56

68

3754

7159

66 57

25

65

21 2635

16 21

50

36

14 1724 29

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Bir

min

gh

am

Ca

md

en

E S

taffs

Le

ice

ste

r

Ne

wca

stle

Sa

nd

we

ll

So

me

rse

t

So

uth

wa

rk

Tra

fford

Th

urr

ock

Wa

kefie

ld

We

st S

uss

ex

En

gla

nd

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of w

om

en

ag

ed

25

-34

No qualifications Lower Higher

Source: 2001 Census SARs, Crown copyright 2004. This work is based on the SARs provided through the Centre for Census and Survey Research of the University of Manchester with the support of ESRC and JISC

Ethnic minority women: change amid persistent inequality

Rapidly becoming better qualified Strongly concentrated in particular labour

market segments Facing a ‘concrete ceiling’ in terms of career

advancement High levels of unemployment in some

Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities Many ethnic minority women report

disadvantage, discrimination, harassmentSource: Yeandle, S, Stiell, B & Buckner, L (2006) Ethnic Minority women and access to the labour market Sheffield: Centre for Social Inclusion www.leeds.ac.uk/sociology/research/circle

Women aged 25-44 who were graduates, by ethnicity: 1991/2001

% of women aged 25-44who were GRADUATES

Graduate women aged 25-44who were IN EMPLOYMENT

1991 2001 1991 2001

Indian 8 37 74 77

Pakistani 4 20 53 53

Bangladeshi .. 13 .. 57

Black Caribbean 5 28 80 83

Black African 12 28 65 83

White* 9 25 81 84

All women 9 26 80 82

Source: 2001 and 1991 Census SARs. Census output is Crown copyright and is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland. This work is based on the SARs provided through the Centre for Census and Survey Research of the University of Manchester with the support of ESRC and JISC.1 *In the 1991 Census ‘White British’ was not a separate category.

Employed women qualified to degree level, by socio-economic category:

Birmingham, Southwark and England Socio-economic

categoryBirmingham Southwark England

Wh. Brit. Bl. Carib Wh. Brit. Bl.Carib Wh.Brit. Bl.Carib.

Large emplrs/ higher managerial

5 3 11 0 14 5

Higher professional 17 6 19 18 29 10

Lower managerial/prof. 58 65 52 50 38 61

Intermediate 11 19 10 24 6 14

Small employers / own account workers

2 0 3 0 6 1

Lower supervisory/tech 2 1 1 2 4 2

Semi-routine 4 4 3 4 2 5

Routine occupations 1 1 1 2 1 1

ALL 100 100 100 100 100 100Source: 2001 Census SAM. The 2001 SAM is provided through the Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research (University of Manchester), with the support of the ESRC and JISC. All tables containing Census data, and the results of analysis, are reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Women in employment in Southwark and Birmingham by age and ethnicity

Birmingham Southwark

White British

Black Caribbean

White British

Black Caribbean

All women in employment

16-19 6 5 3 5

20-24 10 7 12 8

25-29 13 11 20 15

30-39 28 41 29 34

40-49 24 26 21 23

50-59 19 10 15 15

ALL 100 100 100 100

Source: 2001 Census SAM. The 2001 SAM is provided through the Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research (University of Manchester), with the support of the ESRC and JISC. All tables containing Census data, and the results of analysis, are reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Economically active women aged 25-44 by whether UK-born: 1991/2001

%

White Indian Pakistani Bangla-deshi

Black Caribbean

Black African

1991UK born 71 73 36 27 75 68

Non-UK born

68 67 22 11 49 60

2001UK born 76 79 47 48 79 80

Non-UK born

73 70 24 19 51 61

Source: 2001 and 1991 Census SARs. Census output is Crown copyright and is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland. This work is based on the SARs provided through the Centre for Census and Survey Research of the University of Manchester with the support of ESRC and JISC.

Part-time employment and working below potential

Working Below Potential – i.e. not using proven skills, qualifications, experience in current job

54% of women in PT jobs 2.8 million women nationwide Main cause: how jobs/employment are designed

and structured Wastes valuable talent - cost to employers, the

economy, women, families Could be changed by creating better quality PT

jobs

Employed men who work part-time by age: England 2001

95 5

118

0

10

20

30

40

50

16-24 25-34 35-49 50-64 ALL

Source: Census 2001, Crown Copyright, reproduced with the permission of HMSO

Employed women who work part-time by age: England 2001

20

31

4547

39

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

16-24 25-34 35-49 50-59 ALL

Source: Census 2001, Crown Copyright, reproduced with the permission of HMSO

Employed women who work part-time by age: Thurrock 2001

19

33

49 47

39

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

16-24 25-34 35-49 50-59 ALL

Source: Census 2001, Crown Copyright, reproduced with the permission of HMSO

Employed women who work part-time by age: Wakefield 2001

24

39

5044

0

10

20

30

40

50

16-24 25-34 35-49 50-59 ALL

Source: Census 2001, Crown Copyright, reproduced with the permission of HMSO

52

Employed women who work part-time by age: Camden 2001

1311

24

29

17

0

10

20

30

40

50

16-24 25-34 35-49 50-59 ALL

Source: Census 2001, Crown Copyright, reproduced with the permission of HMSO

Part-time work in local economies: change over time

% all jobs part-time % all jobs

women

held by

that are PT

% all jobs men

held by that are PT

1991 2002 1991 2002 1991 2002

Camden 14 22 20 30 8 14Leicester 24 29 39 42 8 16Thurrock 25 34 52 56 6 14Trafford 25 30 48 47 7 15Wakefield 27 32 48 54 7 13West Sussex

30 32 47 50 11 15

England 26 31 45 48 9 15

Full-time female employees (16-74) by occupation: England and selected localities

20

814 15 13 15 15

22

118

1510

11 13

24

1514

19

1616

17

20

21

36

28

2526

26

1

3

2

1

2

22

6

9

8

9

9

12 9

4

8

10

8

9

9 7

1

16

32

6

2 4

310 7 4

106 6

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Camde

n

Leice

ster

Thurro

ck

Traffo

rd

Wak

efie

ld

W S

ussex

Engla

nd

Elementary occupations

Process, plant & machineoperatives

Sales & Customer Services

Personal Services

Skilled trades

Administrative & Secretarial

Associate Professionals &Technical

Professionals

Managers & Senior Officials

Source: 2001 Census Standard Tables, Crown Copyright 2003.

Part-time female employees (16-74) by occupation: England and selected localities

72 3 4 3 4 4

15

5 37

36 6

13

7 6

11

7

10 9

19

16 20

24

17

2421

1

22

2

2

22

13

1615

14

17

19

16

17

20

30

20

21

19

20

1

8

11

3

1

2

15

2619 16

26

1621

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Camde

n

Leice

ster

Thurro

ck

Traffo

rd

Wak

efie

ld

W S

ussex

Engla

nd

Elementary occupations

Process, plant & machineoperatives

Sales & Customer Services

Personal Services

Skilled trades

Administrative & Secretarial

Associate Professionals &Technical

Professionals

Managers & Senior Officials

Source: 2001 Census Standard Tables, Crown Copyright 2003.

Part-time women employees by industry:

England and selected localities

Source: 2001 Census Standard Tables, Crown Copyright 2003.

0 0 0 0 0 1 1310

4 3 6 4 50

1

2 11 1 1

20

25 38

2327

22 24

9

9

7

7

10

692

3

3

4

3

53

2

2

4

5

3

5 414

7

7

10

89 94

3

2

45

4 4

1915

13

1312

13 14

1720

15

2421 23 21

105 4 6 5 5 5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Camden Leicester Thurrock Trafford Wakefield WestSussex

England

Per

cen

tag

e o

f w

om

en e

mp

loye

es a

ged

16-

74 e

mp

loye

d p

art-

tim

e Other

Health and Social Work

Education

Public Administration &Defence; Social SecurityReal Estate

Finance

Transport; Storage andCommunicationRestaurants, Hotels

Wholesale, Retail

Construction

Manufacture

Energy and water

Agriculture; Hunting; Forestry;fishing

Tackling women’s labour market disadvantage Target critical issues for key groups in specific localities: Job quality

esp. low pay, lack of prospects, inflexibility in PT jobs Infrastructure

re transport / care / advice / education & training / health Tax/benefits system Weaknesses in education and training system Job design

Recruitment and job entry Flexible working arrangements Progression opportunities Redesign of management careers

Discrimination, harassment, prejudice, stereotyping

Requires: quality LLM information; gender lens; equalities perspective; local consultations/solutions

For information about the GELLM Research Programme 2003-6* or about the University of Leeds’ research and publications on gender equality and on carers and employment, see:

www.leeds.ac.uk/sociology/research/circle

CIRCLE is the University of Leeds’

Centre for International Research on Care, Labour & Equalities

Co-Directors: Prof. Sue Yeandle & Prof. Fiona Williams

CIRCLE’s Senior Research Fellows include Dr Cinnamon Bennett and Dr Lisa Buckner

Email: [email protected]

* The GELLM Research Programme was based at the Centre for Social Inclusion, Sheffield Hallam University between Sept 2003 & Aug 2006