The Occupational Distribution of Women in the UK: the case of part‐time workers Available to Purchase

Women workers will find themselves at a disadvantage when competing in the labour market with men if they are not able to take advantage of promotion opportunities, regardless of whether they are full‐ or part‐timers. Women now make up 40 per cent of the UK labour force. However 46 per cent of employed women work part‐time compared with only 2 per cent of employed men. To a considerable extent this unequal position of women within the occupational structure is due to the particularly weak labour market position of married women who seek part‐time jobs. Married women are constrained by their family responsibilities in the type of work they take. Their situation contrasts sharply with men and women who enter the labour market straight from education with no domestic hindrances. Better occupational prospects for women workers will only be achieved if they have access to a wider range of occupations and are given the same opportunities for training and promotion as full‐timers.