Midlands female labour force rate rises above UK average - PwC

The Midlands has seen improvements to its female labour force participation rate - but decreases in the overall regional rating, according to this year 's Women in Work Index.

The Index analyses female economic empowerment across 33 OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries.

Since the Index began in 2010, the Midlands has seen a steady improvement in all five measured indicators.

However, although the West Midlands has increased one place in this year 's Index rising from 12th to 11th place, the East Midlands has dropped from fifth place to 12th in this year 's overall rating.

The Midlands labour force for women is held at 75 per cent, higher than the national average of 74 per cent.

The gender pay gap in the West Midlands has reduced to 16 per cent.

Similarly, the West Midlands has also seen a decrease in its participation rate gap, decreasing from 11 per cent to nine per cent, on par with the East Midlands.

Yet, while the female unemployment rate remained the same at five per cent in the West Midlands, it has increased by one per cent in the East Midlands from four per cent to per cent.

Becky Clayton (pictured), Midlands consumer markets and industrial products/ manufacturing partner at PwC, said: “The Index highlights the extent to which the pandemic has affected women in work, especially in the Midlands.

“It is pleasing to see an increase in the female labour force participation and a decrease in the gender pay gap, over the last ten years the Midlands has driven improvement across every indicator.

“Yet, we have to address the very real impact of the pandemic on women in the region to continue to strive for progress, through continuing to invest in addressing inequality to create inclusive workplaces.

“As we look to the future, we must continue to help create equal employment opportunities for women from all social backgrounds.

“We are pleased to be on the front foot of investment in the region, establishing a presence in the Midlands through our technology degree apprenticeship programme with Birmingham University and our support of the Tech She Can and Tech we Can programmes.

“We are actively investing in local talent from a diverse range of backgrounds aiming to break down barriers to support social mobility and help people forge new career pathways.

“As the UK government continues to prioritise levelling-up to reduce regional social disparity, governments and businesses must continue to work together to empower women and create opportunities to support women in the workforce. ”

The UK moved up seven places on the Index for 2020, from 16th position in 2019 to ninth out of the 33 OECD countries.

This puts the UK in the highest position among G7 countries. The average score among the 33 countries fell by half a point.

The UK 's increase in the rankings was driven by a fall in the gender pay gap, jumping down four per cent from 2019 to 2020, compared with the previous eight years in which it had only improved two per cent.