The two bar charts illustrate the employment rates of males and females in the UK in 2008, categorized by their age group and the age of their youngest child.
Overall, it is evident that the percentage of female employees was higher than that of men in the core working groups, whereas the opposite was true in the youngest and oldest age categories. Furthermore, employment was more common among individuals whose youngest child was older.
By age group, employment peaked among those aged 35 to 49, at approximately 82% for females and 78% for males. Similarly high rates were observed among the 26- to 34-year-old and 50- to 59-year-old groups, where employed males ranged from 65% to 70%, while employed females ranged from 70% to 80%. In the youngest (16 to 25) and oldest (60+) age brackets, male employment exceeded that of females. However, at no point did either group exceed 40% in these categories.
In terms of the youngest child’s age, 60% of both male and female employees had a child aged five and below. The proportion of males whose youngest child was between 6 and 20 years old remained unchanged at 75%. In contrast, the figures for females had varied between 55% and 65%. For those whose youngest child was in their twenties, both genders accounted for 75%.