THERE is a huge mismatch between the availability of flexible jobs and the number of people working flexibly, according to researchers.
Analysis commissioned by the Scottish Government and Family Friendly Working Scotland, found only 11.9 per cent of jobs paying at least £20k are advertised as flexible at the point of hire.
Researchers found 34 per cent of people seeking employment in Scotland are looking for part-time or flexible vacancies.
Part-time workers could also earn up to £3.62 less per hour than full-time workers with similar qualifications.
Researchers also found higher paid jobs are less likely to be advertised flexibly.
The survey found 24 per cent of jobs paid less than £20k were flexible compared to 8.9 per cent paying £35k to £59k which limited career progression and earnings.
Of those jobs that advertised flexibly, 61.6 per cent were part-time. Other options, such as flexible hours and homeworking, were less frequent and 15 per cent of jobs didn’t specify what type of flexibility was available.
Lisa Gallagher, joint programme director of Family Friendly Working Scotland, said: “These findings show a huge demand in Scotland for flexible working and a clear opportunity for employers to tap into this demand by designing and advertising jobs as flexible.
“Most employers are currently missing out on recruiting and retaining the best talent and from getting the most from their employees.
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