Sex & gender - SG Core
The data below covers staff working in core Scottish Government directorate generals only. Data covering staff in core Scottish Government directorate generals, some agencies and some non-ministerial departments is also available. More details can be found in the notes of this publication.
Declaration rates for sex in our internal HR system, recruitment systems and People Survey are 100%, 97.9% and 94.0% respectively. Data on the sex of employees within the SG Core is complete, as this is gathered during the recruitment process once an offer has been accepted. Data on the sex of applicants in our recruitment system and of survey respondents to the People Survey are not complete and include a ‘Prefer not to say’ response option.
Workforce composition
Headcounts
Female staff make up 56.5% of the SG Core workforce, compared to 51.1% of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the SG Core workforce by sex and either pay band or working pattern (i.e. full-time or part-time). Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The percentage breakdown of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 by sex is added as a comparison where available.
Figure 2a: Pay band or working pattern, by sex - Dec 2024
Part-time staff make up 16.3% of all permanent staff.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 2a: Pay band or working pattern, by sex - Dec 2024
Recruitment
45.9% of applications come from female applicants rising to 55.9% of offers accepted.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of the sex of applications to work for the SG Core at each stage of the recruitment process. Applicants applying to multiple jobs are included for each application they make. The percentage breakdown of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 by sex is added as a comparison where available.
Figure 2b: Recruitment stage reached in 2024, by sex
The stages of the recruitment process are explained later in this report
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 2b: Recruitment stage reached in 2024, by sex
Turnover
57.8% of joiners and 58.4% of leavers are female.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the SG Core workforce, the staff that joined in 2024 and the staff that left in 2024 by sex. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The percentage breakdown of Scotland’s working-age population by sex is added as a comparison where available.
Figure 2c: Joiners and leavers in 2024, by sex
The chart above does not include any movement to, from or between any other Scottish Government organisations.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 2c: Joiners and leavers in 2024, by sex
Staff experiences
Absences
9.5 working days are lost on average to sickness or absences for female staff.
7.5 working days are lost on average to sickness or absences for male staff.
AWDL is a measure of levels of absence that allows for comparison between different groups. A higher AWDL figure indicates a higher rate of days absent among that group, relative to the number of staff in that group and their working pattern.
Figure 2d: Average working days lost in 2024, by sex
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2d: Average working days lost in 2024, by sex
Performance
63% of female staff achieved a marking of “Highly effective” or “Exceptional” in 2024.
55.1% of male staff achieved a marking of “Highly effective” or “Exceptional” in 2024.
Performance is assessed annually in April. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average.
Figure 2e: Performance markings in 2023-24, by sex
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2e: Performance markings in 2023-24, by sex
Substantive promotions
14.2% of female staff were promoted in 2024.
13.2% of male staff were promoted in 2024.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of staff getting a promotion in 2024 by sex. The percentages below are not the success rates of staff that apply for promotion. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average.
Figure 2f: Proportion of staff promoted in 2024, by sex
The “not promoted” group includes the following groups of staff:
- Staff that were unsuccessful in their application for a promotion in 2024.
- Staff who did not apply for a promotion in 2024.
- Staff that achieved a promotion in 2024 but didn’t start their new position until 2025.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2f: Proportion of staff promoted in 2024, by sex
Temporary promotions
4% of female staff are on a temporary promotion.
3.7% of male staff are on a temporary promotion.
The chart below shows the percentage of SG Core staff on a temporary promotion. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average.
Figure 2g: Proportion of staff on a temporary promotion on Dec 2024, by sex
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2g: Proportion of staff on a temporary promotion on Dec 2024, by sex
Pay gap
The data on pay used in this publication covers the SG Main, SG Marine and SCS pay groups, which includes staff employed by core Scottish Government (SG Core). SG Core is not included separately in this publication. This data can be found on the Scottish Government overall page.
Workforce culture
The data below come from the annual Civil Service People Survey and highlight the experiences of staff working in SG Core. The scores below are the percentage of positive responses by respondents indicating they belong to a particular demographic group. Respondents who didn’t answer the question on sex have been removed from these charts and tables, although they are included in the calculation of the total figure.
Some of the percentages in the charts below are followed by arrows indicating the level of statistical significance. These boxes are also colour-coded in various shades of green and red to indicate whether the difference is desirable or not respectively.
Engagement
65.3% of female staff report feeling engaged, compared to 65.1% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff who feel engaged with their work in 2023.
Figure 2h: Employee engagement score in 2023, by sex
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2h: Employee engagement score in 2023, by sex
Inclusion & fair treatment
84.7% of female staff report feeling included and treated fairly, compared to 85.7% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff feeling included and that they are treated fairly in 2023.
Figure 2i: Inclusion & fair treatment score in 2023, by sex
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2i: Inclusion & fair treatment score in 2023, by sex
Bullying & harassment
8.4% of female staff report experiencing bullying and/or harassment, compared to 6.1% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff having experienced bullying and/or harassment at work in 2023. Lower percentages are preferred.
Figure 2j: Bullying & harassment score in 2023, by sex
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2j: Bullying & harassment score in 2023, by sex
Discrimination
6.7% of female staff report experiencing discrimination, compared to 5.1% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff having experienced discrimination at work in 2023. Lower percentages are preferred.
Figure 2k: Discrimination score in 2023, by sex
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].