Blog

New statistics show slight decrease in overall gender pay gap but rise in part-time figure

Close the Gap has calculated the difference in pay between women and men working in Scotland using the latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) tables released from the Office of National Statistics this morning.

Making Manufacturing Work for Women research launch event

Thursday 25 June 9.45 am – 11.50 am
Radisson Blu, 80 High Street, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1TH

Close the Gap commissioned University of Strathclyde to undertake research into women and manufacturing. This event will present and discuss the findings of new research which maps women’s participation in the manufacturing cluster labour market in Scotland to identify patterns of occupational segregation, gendered skills pipelines, and gender difference in participation in related Modern Apprenticeship frameworks. The research also examines the impact of women’s participation on pay, and on the gender pay gap within the sector.

The real root of women's inequality in retirement

Research has revealed that Scotland has the second-worst gender pensions gap in the UK. A report by Prudential has found that women in Scotland can expect to receive more than one-third less than men when they retire, with an average annual income of £10,029 compared with £17,539 for their male counterparts.

The Childcare Problem

An increasing number of women are being forced to give up their jobs or reduce their hours because of the high cost of childcare, with long term effects on women’s career prospects. The average cost of full-time childcare is currently £385 a month but this rises to £729 for children under the age of two. Child tax credits are being cut while the cost of childcare increases, and those trying to buy childcare find provision patchy in both availability and quality.

GUEST POST: Women in Scotland's Economy Research Centre: A WiSER approach

I am very pleased to introduce the Women in Scotland’s Economy (WiSE) Research Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University. This newly created centre aims to promote and make visible women’s contribution to Scotland’s economy through high quality research and other knowledge transfer activities. Closing the gap between men and women will improve Scotland’s economic position. However, traditional economic approaches often fail to fully recognise women’s economic contribution and their productive potential.

Research reveals the majority of women can't afford to save for retirement

Research has revealed that the number of women saving enough for their retirement has reached a seven year high. The Scottish Widows Women and Pensions Report 2011 has found that 50% of women are now saving adequately for their retirement, up from 43% in 2010. It’s not all good news though as the research also shows that more women are saving nothing at all towards their retirement, 23% compared with 17% of men. Furthermore, 71% of women say they can't afford to save long term compared to 60% of men.

High cost of childcare forces women back in the home

The latest government statistics have revealed that an increasing number of women are being forced to give up their jobs because of the high cost of childcare.  The number of women who have given up paid employment to stay at home and look after their children has risen by 32,000 in the past year.  The average cost of full-time childcare is £385 a month but this rises to £729 for children under the age of two.

Close the Gap newsround (7)

Missed our tweets or Facebook updates? Catch up with the latest events, news, consultations and research.

Close the Gap weekly (6)

This week there are a couple of events to highlight for May, including a conference about the challenges of promoting equality during hard economic times and details of the WiSE Conference.

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