The number of women ditching their jobs in favour of running their own business is growing, while the proportion of men doing the same is falling, new research reveals.
The percentage of females moving into self-employment has increased by 10 per cent since 1990, said enterprise support body Prowess, in contrast to the proportion of men which has fallen by the same number.
According to a study by the organisation, women make up 32.6 per cent of new business owners compared to 22.2 per cent in 1990, whereas male-run start-ups have dropped from 77.8 per cent to 67.4 per cent over the same period.
The research showed women are more likely than men to view social, ethical and environmental considerations as a key business driver, with the majority of females starting their own companies after working in the education, healthcare and community work sectors. The study also showed that women from the black community are among the most entrepreneurial.
Dr Rebecca Harding, author of the report, said: “Research continues to show that the attitudes and motivations that drive women’s enterprise are fundamentally different to those that drive men.
“Such differences need to be taken into account in the delivery of business support to women. However, efforts to develop appropriate policy are currently hindered by inadequacies in the evidence base. Data-sets based on gender and ethnicity are urgently needed.”
