TUC highlights rise in women members

Women are now just as likely as men to be union members, a TUC report confirmed last month.

Detailed analysis of the government's Labour Force Survey statistics showed that union density (the proportion of employees who are union members) had equalised because younger women are more likely to join unions than younger men.

It found that, since 1997, female membership of unions has grown by 312,000 to 3,475,000. In the same period, male membership has fallen by 193,000 to 3,592,000.

Among 25 to 34-year olds, union density among women is 4.1 percentage points higher than among men.

In terms of recruitment, "this suggests that there is a willingness among younger women to join trade unions, which is something unions may wish to build on," says the report.