The East Midlands has seen improvements in its share of employed women in full time roles, increasing from 59% to 61% in 2021, according to this year’s Women in Work Index.
Subsequently, the region has seen a significant narrowing of its gender pay gap from 19% to 16%. The annual PwC report analyses female economic empowerment across 33 OECD countries and was first launched in 2010.
The East Midlands had one of the most improved performances in 2021, moving from 7th place to 4th. The participation rate gap between men and women also narrowed from 9% in 2020 to 6% in 2021. However, the female labour force participation rate did not change over this time, suggesting that the gap narrowed as a result of men’s participation rate falling as opposed to progress in female participation.
Alex Hudson, market senior partner for PwC East Midlands, said: “It is pleasing to see an increase in the employment of women in full time roles and the narrowing of the gender pay gap in the East Midlands.
“Having gender diversity in the workplace provides real business benefits and the East Midlands has improved across every indicator this year. That said, we still have work to do, locally and nationally, to address some of the core barriers for women in work, including childcare provisions and the cost-of-living crisis.
“It’s key that investment into skills continues as an important way to address inequality, creating inclusive workplaces and equal opportunities for women from all social backgrounds. For example, PwC in the Midlands supports the Tech She Can programme, developed to encourage and empower more women into technology careers.
“As the Government continues to push the levelling up agenda and the Treasury considers expanding free childcare hours in England, businesses and local governments must work together to create more opportunities for women in the workplace.”
