These brief area profiles are drawn from each participating local authority's gender profile (where detailed sources are given), except where otherwise indicated. Population figures are from the ONS 2006 mid-year population estimates, and ethnicity figures are from the 2001 Census. Where mentioned, comparisons are with data for England as a whole.

Birmingham

Birmingham, the second largest city in the UK, has just over 1 million people and a younger population than England as a whole. A third (34%) of residents are from ethnic minority groups, including relatively large Pakistani (11%), Indian (6%) and Black Caribbean (5%) populations. The city has lower than average life expectancy at birth and a high proportion of people with a limiting long-term illness. It includes some of the most deprived areas in the country (Communities and Local Government, n.d.), with 29% of dependent children living in households with no working adult. Men and women in Birmingham are less well qualified than men and women nationally.

Birmingham has a long history of heavy reliance on manufacturing, with recent service sector growth, resulting in fewer jobs in manufacturing, and more employment in banking, finance, insurance, ‘other services’, distribution, hotels and restaurants. Between 1991 and 2002, the city saw a 39% increase in part-time jobs and a 5% fall in full-time jobs.

Birmingham has relatively low economic activity and employment rates for men, women, young people and lone parents, low part-time employment rates for both sexes, and low levels of self-employment among men. Among those in employment, 74% of men and 83% of women work within the city; a high but declining proportion of them travel to work by bus, although recently travel to work by car (particularly among women) has increased. In 2001, unemployment was relatively high, especially among men; among those then unemployed, 30% of men and 36% of women had not worked for over five years.

Birmingham City Council was a partner in the GELLM research programme between 2003 and 2006, and participated in three GELLM local research studies. The GELLM publications relating to Birmingham are:

• • Gender profile of Birmingham's labour market (Buckner et al, 2005a)

• • Addressing women's poverty in Birmingham: local labour market initiatives (Escott et al, 2006a)

• • Connecting women with the labour market in Birmingham (Grant et al, 2006c)

• • Local challenges in meeting demand for domiciliary care in Birmingham (Yeandle et al, 2006e).