Agriculture has the third highest rate of self-employed women in the UK, out of the top 10 industries.
According to research conducted by money.co.uk, the agricultural industry comes in behind building and finishing trades in first place, and bed and breakfast/guest house owners and proprietors in second.
The money.co.uk team said jobs titles that self-employed women may hold in the agricultural industry include farmers, farm managers, farm workers, gardeners, tree surgeons, and more.
“Many of these businesses are family run and passed down through generations, which could contribute to the high rate of self-employment,” it said.
The top 10 industries for self-employed women are:
| Rank | Industry | Total women in work | Self-employed women | Self-employed women (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Building Finishing Trades | 4,200 | 4,100 | 97.6% |
| 2 | Bed and Breakfast and Guest House Owners and Proprietors | 5,700 | 4,700 | 82.5% |
| 3 | Agricultural and Related Trades | 56,100 | 42,800 | 76.3% |
| 4 | Managers and Proprietors in Agriculture Related Services | 10,200 | 7,200 | 70.6% |
| 5 | Textiles and Garments Trades | 22,000 | 15,100 | 68.6% |
| 6 | Artistic, Literary and Media Occupations | 189,000 | 123,100 | 65.1% |
| 7 | Metal Forming, Welding and Related Trades | 1,900 | 1,200 | 63.2% |
| 8 | Hairdressers and Related Services | 191,300 | 117,000 | 61.2% |
| 9 | Other Skilled Trades | 41,100 | 24,000 | 58.4% |
| 10 | Animal Care and Control Services | 82,900 | 47,300 | 57.1% |
Women in agriculture
In terms of occupation, female farmers have the fifth-highest rate of self employment. Out of the total 19,500 women who work as farmers, 17,600 (or 90.3%) are self employed, according to the report.
Farming occupations come behind metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations; upholsterers; painters and decorators; and driving instructors in terms of self-employed women.
The industry which has seen the most significant annual increase in self-employed women is the area of conservation and environment professionals – which has seen a 420% increase.
Money.co.uk said this sector witnessed the most “dramatic growth” out of any other sector – rising from 500 self-employed women in 2021 to 2,600 in 2022.
“This indicates an impressive 420% surge, suggesting that women are increasingly involved in environmental protection, conservation, and sustainability,” it said.
“This massive growth could be due to a broader global trend towards prioritising ecological concerns and a shift in the entrepreneurial opportunities within this sector.”
Self-employed women
The South West region was revealed to have the highest percentage of self-employed women, standing at 12.6%. London is in second place with 277,700, equating to 12.4% of the 2,236,100 women in work in the city.
Northern Ireland has the smallest amount of self-employed women, with just 7% of women who work in the country being self employed.
The industries with the most women leaders include health, well-being, and social care, with 40.4% of its 210,557 companies being women-led.
