Female employment in Scotland has risen by 46,000 over the past year to a record 1,288,000, government statistics have revealed.
The number of women claiming jobseekers’ allowance has also fallen by 8,900 to 27,900 - the lowest total since February 2009, BBC reported.
Figures showed 71.4% of women in Scotland are working, compared to 68.1% across the UK as a whole.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney underlined the figure as a “real success story” and said 2014 has seen Scotland consistently outperform the UK on employment, unemployment and inactivity rates, as the country’s economy continues to go from strength to strength.
“Over the last two years, the gap between male and female employment rates has narrowed in Scotland, unlike the UK - with the gap closing by 3.6 percentage points in Scotland.”
The male employment rate north of the border is 5.5 points higher than the female rate, compared to 9.1 points in the 2012. In the UK, the gap has gone from 10.3 points two years ago to 9.7 points in 2014.
Over a quarter of a million women in Scotland are paid less than the living wage, according to the Scottish Labor finance, constitution and economy spokeswoman Jackie Baillie.
