Gender Shift: Research Reveals Women as Top Contenders in Job Market – here’s why

A new study has revealed that women are more employable than men in 2024 and here is why.

Experts at Tax Bite have analysed the most recent unemployment claimant data nationwide, uncovering the disparities in joblessness between genders and providing insights into the underlying reasons driving these variations.

The difference in unemployment levels between men and women: 

There are noticeably more men unemployed in the UK than there are women. In March 2024 915,510 men were claiming unemployment-related benefits in the UK, there were significantly fewer women at 694,625. 

The top 10 areas in the UK where more men are unemployed than women: 

Rank	Area	Number of men unemployed	Number of women unemployed	Number of people unemployed	% of men unemployed	% of women unemployed	% of more men unemployed than women
1	Liverpool	11,975	7,035	19,015	63	37	26
2	Dundee City	2,520	1,500	4,025	62.6	37.3	25.3
3	Glasgow City	13,335	7,975	21,315	62.6	37.4	25.2
4	Nottingham	8,105	4,910	13,020	62.3	37.7	24.6
5	Sunderland	4,485	2,720	7,205	62.2	37.8	24.4
6	Blackpool	3,465	2,125	5,590	61.2	38	23.2
7	Gateshead	3,275	2,050	5,325	61.5	38.5	23
8	Hartlepool	1,780	1,120	2,900	61.4	38.6	22.8
9	Wigan	4,770	3,030	7,800	61.2	38.8	22.4
10	Sheffield	9,865	6,275	16,135	61.1	38.9	22.2

Liverpool claims the leading position with a significant disparity in unemployment rates between genders, where there are 26% more men without jobs than women. Specifically, the city records 11,975 unemployed men compared to 7,035 unemployed women.

Dundee City has around 25.3% more men unemployed than women, the city has around 2,520 men currently unemployed and 1,500 women. 

Glasgow, another Scottish city on the list, exhibits a notable gender gap in unemployment, with approximately 25.2% more men jobless than women. Specifically, there are 13,335 unemployed men compared to 7,975 unemployed women in the city.

Further study insights: 

• The region in England with the highest level of unemployment is London with 5.2% of the region’s population claiming unemployment-related benefits. 
• The area in the UK with the most unemployment is Birmingham with 8.9% of the city’s population currently claiming unemployment-related benefits.
• The areas in England experiencing the most significant surge in unemployment since 2023 are Pendle and Newham, both witnessing a striking 1.1% rise in joblessness among their populations. 
• The City of London and Blackpool have witnessed the most substantial decline in unemployment rates since 2023, with a notable 0.6% decrease in their respective populations. 

Kasra Dash, Director at Tax Bite comments on why women may be more employable than men: 

“ There is a significant gap between men and women in terms of unemployment across the region. There are a number of reasons why this may be happening:  

Occupational Segregation sees men overrepresented in industries like manufacturing, construction, and transportation, which are vulnerable to economic shifts, potentially leading to higher male unemployment. 

Meanwhile, Educational Attainment trends show women surpassing men, especially in healthcare and education, providing them with more job options and resilience to economic changes, potentially leading to lower female unemployment rates.

Despite evolving gender roles, women still shoulder more caregiving responsibilities, impacting their employment decisions and potentially contributing to lower female workforce participation during economic downturns. 

Industry Composition plays a role, with male-dominated sectors like manufacturing facing higher unemployment rates, while female-dominated sectors like healthcare offer more stable employment. 

Persistent gender bias and discrimination also hinder men’s job prospects, including challenges in underrepresented industries, biased hiring and promotion practices, and structural barriers like wage gaps and limited family-friendly policies, all contributing to higher male unemployment rates.”