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are expected to make up 1.3 million of the 1.5
million new entrants to the labour force over the period 1993 to 2006.
3) Increased activity rates - For women aed 16 and over from 50% in 1986 to 55% in 2001.
For 35 to 44 year olds increase from 76% in 1991 to 81% in 2001.
4) Faster return to work - In 1979, of all women who worked during pregnancy, 24% were in
work and 14% were lookin for work within 8 to 9 months of the birth. By 1988 the figures
were 45% in work and 20% lookin for work.
5) Later childbirth - 36% of births to women aged 25 to 29.
6) More part-time work - In 1971 14% of the workforce worked part-time (compared to only
6% of male employment).
7) Occupational segregation - 83% of women in the Service industries compared to 56% of
men.
8) Increased self-employment - Number of women up from 693,000 in 1984 to 800,000 in
1993 (a rise from 24% to 26% of all self-employed people).
9) Older workforce - By 2001 34% of workforce over 45. Rise of 2.4 million in workforce
aged 35 to 54 over period 1993 to 2006 and decline of 1.6 million in workforce under 35
over this period.
Source: GHN (1995)
Also the trends favour women. Consistent with the high percentage of female employment in
the services sector and within the offices in the manufacturing sector, a breakdown of employment
into different trades shows 32% of men employed as plant and machinery operatives
or in craft or related trades, whilst only 7% of women are so employed. These trades are
expected to see a decline of approximately 200 thousand jobs in the decade 1996 - 2006,
compared to vastly expanding job opportunities elsewhere (figure 2), for which females already
have a higher proportion of the necessary non-manual skills than males.
Figure 2
Changes in employment: by occupation, 1996 to 2006
United Kingdom
Thousands
Plant and machine
operatives
Other occupations
Clerical and
secretarial
Managers and
administrators
Personal and
protective services
Associate
professionals and
technical
Sales
Professionals
Craft and
skilled manual
-200 -100 0 100 200 300 400 500
1 - 1996-based projections
Source: Business Strategies Limited
Skills
These trends can be summed into areas of increase and decrease both on industries and occupation,
which generates a map of changes in broad occupation groups (figure 3). These
changes translate into a focus on the development of communication, inter-personal group
working, learning and problem solving skills in which general numeracy, and also familiarity
with using computers to handle and distribute information, play a supportive role, but are not
of high priority. General personal skills are seen as of much higher importance and indeed of
twelve skills seen as core skills for graduates, IT ranks last. The list dominated by the ‘soft’
personal attributes that give the flexibility required by today’s changing organisations.
Figure 3
Changes in Broad Occupational Groups
Numbers Increasing
D
E
S
K
I
· secretarial occupations (p/t)
· junior clericals (p/t)
· recreational occupations (p/t)
· personal service occupations (p/t)
· security occupations (p/t)
· managers and administrators
· engineers, scientists etc.
· associate professionals
· health/education profesionals
· multi-skilled craftsmen
· sales & marketing occupatio