Male/female split apparent as private and public sector stats reveal make-up of workforce

Six out of 10 workers in the UK’s private sector are male, while women dominate in the public sector (65%) research has found.

The Economic & Labour Market Review, published by the Office for National Statistics, found that the number of female workers in the public sector has only increased 2%, from 63% in 1997, while in the private sector, the proportions of men and women has remained stable over the past decade.

The proportion of the workforce working in the public sector increased from 19.5% in 1997 to 20.2% last year, while in both sectors the proportion of non-white workers grew from 6% in 2001 to 8% in 2006.

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According to the latest statistics, 31% of male private sector workers clocked up 45-hour weeks, against 22% of their counterparts in the public sector. For women, only 10% in the public sector and 9% of private sector women worked 45-hour weeks.

Workers over 50 accounted for 30% of the public sector workforce in 2006 (up from 23% in 1997), while in the private sector the percentage had risen to 27% in 2006 (up from 23% in 1997).