The Annual Population Survey provides the preferred measure for economic inactivity rates for small cohorts of the population in Scotland. The latest data covers the period from October 2012 to September 2013.

The rate of economically inactive mothers by number of children is shown in Table 1 and the rate of economically inactive mothers by age of youngest dependent child in Table 2.

Table 1: Economic inactivity rates¹ for mothers by number of dependent² children

Source: Annual Population Survey, October 2012-September 2013, Office for National Statistics.

Notes:

1. Rates based on population aged 16-64.

2. Dependent children are children aged under 16 and those aged 16 to 18 who have never-married.

Table 2: Economic inactivity rates¹ for mothers by age of youngest dependent² child

Source: Annual Population Survey, October 2012-September 2013, Office for National Statistics.

Notes:

1. Rates based on population aged 16-64.

2. Dependent children are children aged under 16 and those aged 16 to 18 who have never-married.

3. Analysis is based on age of youngest child to avoid double counting of mothers with multiple children.

The Annual Population Survey provides the preferred measure for detailed labour market information for subsets of the population in Scotland. The latest data covers the period from October 2012 to September 2013.

Female employment rate by qualification:

Source: Annual Population Survey, October 2012 to September 2013, Office for National Statistics

Notes:

1. Rates based on female population aged 16-64

2. Rates are calculated on unrounded figures

3. Rates for all excludes those who didn’t know or didn’t answer

At 69.5%, the level of female employment is at its highest rate since the Labour Force Survey series began in 1992. (source, Labour Force Survey, ONS, Sept-Nov 2013). However, the Scottish Government recognises that women continue to face many different barriers accessing, retaining and progressing in employment.

Attendees at the Women’s Employment Summit in September 2012 identified a number of key challenges, including childcare; support for women setting up their own enterprise; flexible working; the particular challenges of rural living; and occupational segregation.

Since the event, action has been taken across these areas, and is monitored through the Advisory Group on Women and Work Chaired by Angela Constance

Actions include:

Child care: We are increasing the level of funded early learning and childcare from 475 hours to 600 hours per year, for three and four year olds, and the most vulnerable two year olds, and from 2014. We will extend our childcare offer of 600 hours per year to two year olds in workless households from 2014, and to two year olds who would be eligible for free school meals from 2015.Enterprise: following a series of seminars chaired by Professor Sara Carter of Strathclyde University and Jackie Brierton of Women in Enterprise Scotland, a draft framework for action by Scottish Government and partners has been produced and will be published in Spring this year.

Careerwise: A £250,000 fund which will see the Scottish Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology to work collaboratively with employers, schools, colleges, universities and Skills Development Scotland to encourage and support young women into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths learning and jobs.

Training:We are keen to test the impact of an offer of childcare support on uptake of training by women, particularly in non-traditional sectors. Through the Energy Skills Challenge Fund which offers ‘transition training’ to up-skill those with relevant transferable skills and experience, 2 of the 9 providers this year are specifically targeting women for their courses. These are:

Fife College who have commenced training and are contracted to deliver 168 places. Fife College are specifically marketing and targeting women.

Opito, who are contracted to deliver 331 places, which will include 50 places specifically being offered to women though a four day awareness course on the realities of the oil and gas industry and details of the training available through the challenge fund. The course and training is due to run in March 2014.

Both providers will pilot offering childcare expenses as an incentive to increase the number of women taking up this provision it is important women can access training offer of childcare;

Research: Understanding the evidence we have around women’s employment was a key issue identified at the summit. Professor Patricia Findlay of Strathclyde University has chaired a small group which produced and published on the Scottish employability website:-www.employabilityinscotland.com.

An updated Women’s Employment Summit Evidence Paper, a database of sources for women’s labour market information, alongside a guide to data sources and a thematic guide to data sources, short summary review of evidence papers and a list of women’s employment support networks and resources

In ‘Scotland’s Future’ we set out further actions we will take if elected in an independent Scotland which would offer more support to women and families accessing the labour market. This includes the introduction of a universal childcare system, a fair pay commission, action to increase the number of women on public and corporate boards and promotion of a living wage.

We are in regular contact with stakeholders regarding our plans for childcare.

For example, as part of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill, the Scottish Government has worked with a range of stakeholders to assess the capacity of the childcare sector and its readiness to deliver proposals in the Bill around early learning and childcare, including the more recent offer to extend 600 hours to around 27% of two year olds by August 2015.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of unpaid child-minders in Scotland, however findings from the Growing Up in Scotland study confirm that families rely on a mix of formal and informal care arrangements, including unpaid child-minders.

The Scottish Government is currently engaged with, and will continue to engage with, the Scottish Childminding Association to ensure that the views of childminders are reflected in the development of policy.

An evidence paper was produced in-house to inform the 2012 Women's Employment Summit. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence on key issues related to women's employment. It highlights that accessible, affordable and flexible childcare is fundamental to women’s participation in work and training. The paper is available at:

http://www.employabilityinscotland.com/media/294295/8_-__women_s_employment_summit_evidence_paper.pdf

The Council of Economic Advisers considered the economic and social importance of improving childcare provision in Scotland at their meeting on 30 August 2013. The council’s discussion was informed by a presentation by Professor Ailsa McKay on the economic and social importance of access to childcare. The minutes of this discussion are available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Council-Economic-Advisers/Meetings/30-08-2013

The analysis informing the council’s deliberations will be reflected in the annual Chair’s Report of the Council of Economic Advisers. It is anticipated that the chair’s report will be published in Spring 2014.

As a Non-Departmental Public Body, ministers and government officials meet regularly with representatives of the Scottish Social Services Council to discuss their statutory functions and delivery of ministerial objectives.

Governments of an independent Scotland will be able to use a full range of powers to deliver policies that help people into work and protect the vulnerable.

On independence, the entitlements to benefits, credits, vouchers and reliefs that apply in the UK will continue to apply in Scotland, with such benefits continuing to be paid in exactly the same way as they are now. However, future Scottish governments can choose to do things differently from the rest of the UK. For example, this government will stop the damaging changes to our welfare system being introduced by Westminster, including scrapping the “bedroom tax” and halting the roll out of universal credit.

The Annual Population Survey provides the preferred measure for detailed labour market information for subsets of the population in Scotland. The latest data covers the period from October 2012 to September 2013.

The proportion of all women, aged 16+, employed on a permanent full-time, permanent part-time basis, non-permanent full-time and non-permanent part-time basis.

Proportion of all women by permanent/non-permanent and full-time/part-time status

Source: Annual Population Survey, October 2012 to September 2013, Office for National Statistics

Notes:

1. Proportions based on female population aged 16+, in employment

2. Rates are calculated on unrounded figures

3. Estimates exclude those who gave no response to the question

4. Non-permanent jobs cover those working for an employment agency, doing casual type of work, doing seasonal work or working under contact for a fixed period or fixed task.

The Scottish Government published an economic analysis in January 2014 illustrating the potential impact of increasing Scotland’s female participation rate to levels seen in countries such as Norway and Sweden. The results are outlined in a document entitled Childcare and Labour Market Participation - Economic Analysis, and can be accessed using the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Childcare-and-Female-Labour-Market-Participation

The results published in the above report indicate that if Scotland’s female participation rate reached Swedish levels, output could rise by up to 1.7% (£2.2 billion) and tax revenues by 1.5% (£700 million) in the long run.