There are now a record number of women working in the UK, according to new government figures.
A report released by the Office for National Statistics has shown the female employment rate currently stands at 67.2 per cent – the highest since records began.
The results – published yesterday (February 19th) – indicate there are now more than 14 million women in work.
Overall employment grew by 193,000 over the last quarter, with 1.3 million more people working now, compared with how many there were in 2010. Over one million of these posts are also full-time ones, meaning the economic recovery is not just being based on temporary work agreements.
Employment minister Esther McVey said: “Record numbers of women are in work and youth unemployment continues to fall, which means more people have the security of a regular wage and can plan for their future.”
The news regarding the increased proportion of females re-entering the workplace is a positive step and one that reflects efforts made by many businesses to keep hold of their best staff – be they men or women.
One previous trend had been to see many ladies take a step back from their career if they chose to have a child, with past facilities and technologies unable to accommodate a fulfilling family life and an employee’s desire to climb the ladder at work.
However, firms are now finding that, by taking a flexible approach, they can assist those staff members in achieving a more satisfactory work-life balance.
This has been partially expanded through proposed new legislation that would see mums and dads share parental leave in a fashion that suits their needs on a more ad-hoc basis, allowing them to divide the 12-month period between them in a more adaptable fashion, as opposed to two six-month blocks.
