Maximising the benefits of female employment

8th March 2014

Council of Economic Advisers to study ways of increasing female workforce.

The Scottish Government’s Council of Economic Advisers is to follow up its work on the importance of childcare in enabling more women to participate in the labour market with an analysis of further steps Scotland can take to maximise economic opportunities for women.

The First Minister’s initiative which was made ahead of International Women’s Day tomorrow (8 March), will examine how the Scottish Government’s existing support for women in a range of policy areas such as education, welfare, skills and enterprise can be bolstered to increase women’s opportunities in Scotland’s economy.

This builds on the latest employment figures which have seen the number of women in work soar by 72,000 in a year to an all-time record high for Scotland.

The Council of Economic Advisers will provide an update on their work in their annual report next month and set out a series of recommendations at their next meeting in November.

Earlier work by the CEA with the advice of Professor Ailsa MacKay has supported the Scottish Government’s increase in childcare provision to 600 hours of funded childcare to 120,000 three and four year-olds and 8,400 vulnerable two year-olds and informed the Scottish Government’s proposals for transformational childcare in an independent Scotland.

Speaking after today's meeting of the CEA in Edinburgh, The First Minister said:“Scotland boasts a hugely talented and resourceful population, and we must do everything possible to ensure that the potential of each and every citizen is unlocked for the benefit of the whole of the country.

“We have made significant strides in recent years in ensuring women can participate in the labour market. Female employment in Scotland is at its highest ever level and our female employment rate is higher than in any other country in the UK.

“But more can and must be done. Too many women in Scotland still face barriers to entering or re-entering the workforce.

“Building on previous work by the Council of Economic Advisers and Professor Ailsa MacKay the Scottish Government has increased the availability of childcare and with the full powers of independence we will go further to provide universal childcare and reduce the barriers that prevent some women accessing education or work.

“I have asked the Council to build on that work and to look at ways in which we can use a range of policy levers, such as education, skills training and equalities legislation to increase female workforce participation and unlock the full potential of women across the country.”