This research report presents new information about the employment situation of un- and under-employed Canterbury women. It tells us that there is under-utilised, ‘hidden’ female labour in Canterbury.
Key Results
The research shows that there is an underutilised, and ‘hidden’ female labour force in Canterbury.
Women want to work
Over a quarter of the women surveyed want to work, and are available to work now.
The research also shows that women are more attracted to rebuild positions that reflect their skills and experience (for example, administration/general or professional/ management), than to the construction sector where they have less experience.
Attracting women to construction jobs will require better information, targeted recruitment, and flexible work
Over half of the women surveyed were not opposed to rebuild positions, but many had not considered these jobs, or were not sure how to access them.
Women saw construction jobs as ‘jobs for men’. They felt advertising was directed at men, and some women thought that they could not meet the physical demands of some rebuild jobs.
Around four out of ten women surveyed were considering training or retraining. About a fifth of unemployed women surveyed said childcare responsibilities prevented them from training. This is important, particularly for women who might consider construction jobs but need training or retraining.
The research found that the top three factors that would encourage women to consider any job in the rebuild were: flexible hours and environment; good pay; and more information about rebuild opportunities.