Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government Equalities Office has taken to improve social mobility in each of the last seven years.

Since 2010, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) has undertaken a programme of activity to tackle gender inequality in the workplace, including through wide-ranging engagement with employers. Women have too long suffered disadvantage in the labour market, which is a barrier to social mobility. McKinsey estimates that bridging the gender gap in work would add £150 billion to the UK economy by 2025. We need to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

The full-time gender pay gap has fallen to a record low of 9.1%, and we are committed to eliminating the gender pay gap entirely. In 2017 we introduced requirements for all large employers to publish their gender pay and bonus gaps data by April 2018. These requirements will help employers identify and take action to close their gender pay gaps, which is key to accelerating progress.

Many women struggle to find good jobs that meet their needs after taking time out to care for children and other relatives. Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that time out of the labour market has a substantial impact on women’s salaries. On returning to work, women earn around 2% less on average for every year spent out of paid work. In the 2017 budget, £5 million in funding was allocated to increasing opportunities and support for returners. We are working with employers across the public and private sector to understand how returners can be supported back into permanent employment, and co-ordinating new public sector programmes for returners across the country in a wide variety of roles.

The Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities recently launched the government’s ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’ plan to improve social mobility through education. GEO will be engaging with the wider Department for Education on the implementation of the plan.