Report

Women in the labour market

Think tank: Centre for Progressive Policy

Author(s): Dean Hochlaf

June 10, 2021

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Progressive Policy looks at women’s participation in the labour market.

Over the coming months, CPP will launch a series of research reports examining the policies required to close the participation and pay gap between women and men with accessible and affordable childcare being a core focus of this programme of work. CPP’s first report of this research programme by Dean Hochlaf – the full time deficit – explores the most up to date data on women’s participation in the labour market. It takes stock of where we are today, using the latest data collected from the quarterly Labour Force Survey. It highlights where women are vulnerable to poorer labour market outcomes and will serve as a reference to help identify the areas in which policy can make a tangible difference. We’re also publishing an essay by Dr. Norma Cohen – why childcare can drive economic recovery – on the specific challenges of childcare during the Covid-19 pandemic and how it has impacted women in work. Our analysis reveals several priority areas where sizable employment gaps between men and women exist. The groups we focus on include those with children, older women in the labour force and those with lower level qualifications.