Changing Role of Women in the Scottish Economy

Abstract

This chapter provides the growing role of women in the Scottish labour market they also mask some important differences in the nature of employment pursued by women and men in Scotland. At Scottish universities, in 2013/2014 women dominated those graduating with undergraduate degrees in subjects allied to medicine, education and languages. In 2015, 42 percent of women in work were employed part-time compared to only 13 percent of men in employment. The most significant rise in women's economic activity rates since the 1990s has been amongst women with dependent children, particularly those under five years old. The period 2005 to 2015 witnessed a rise in the level of self-employment among both men and women. In the UK women's share of total self-employment increased from 26.9 percent in 2005 to 32 percent in 2015. The increasing participation of women in the labour market in Scotland has contributed to a fall in the gender pay gap.