Women’s Skills Improving Faster than Men’s, Report Shows

New research reveals that women may soon be out-competing men in the job market, as the gender skills gap continues to expand, an article on Staffing Industry reports.

The latest report from the government-supported UK Commission for Employment and Skills, found that women’s skills and qualifications are improving at a much faster rate than men’s; meaning that if men don’t increase their skillset soon, they’ll risk being pipped to the post by female candidates.

It was predicted that women will encompass two-thirds of new jobs deemed as ‘high-skill’ by 2020. Furthermore, by this time almost half (49%) of women will be educated to degree level, compared to the current figure of just 38%.

Conversely, the percentage of men with degree-level qualifications by 2020 will be slightly less, at just 44% – and this is also a much slower rate of improvement than we will see for women, the article explains.

The findings also run in line with this years’ GCSE results; these saw 73% of girls achieve Grade C’s and above, compared to just 64.3% of boys accomplishing the same. The proportion of females educated to below GCSE level, meanwhile, will drop from 24% to 15% by 2020. The male proportion will only drop from 23% to 20% – which again shows that the rate of improvement is slower.

The news should come as a concern for both genders, Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC and a Commissioner at UKCES commented. Although skills are – in theory – essential for job satisfaction and the likelihood of better pay, this doesn’t necessarily mean that women are enjoying these benefits.

“Men are finding to harder to get skilled jobs, while for many women their higher qualifications are not leading to better pay and jobs. Tackling inequality – in skills, qualifications and pay, and for both sexes – is essential if we are to have a prosperous and stable future,” she stated.