Women 'suffering more in downturn'

21/01/2009

The workplace now contains more women than it did at the time of other recessions, while female-dominated professions are also expected to be hit hard by the slowdown

Female workers are being hit harder by the recession than they were by previous economic slowdowns, a report from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) claims.

Released today, the new study highlights the increased impact of the downturn for women - fewer of whom were in work in the crises of the early 1990s, 1980s and 1970s.

According to the TUC, a higher proportion of households are now dependent on female income than before - and that, for one in five couples, the woman out-earns the man.

Redundancy figures also show that, over the first nine months of 2008, the female job loss rate (2.3 per cent) was twice that for men (1.2 per cent).

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber added: "Job losses in sectors where men predominate such as manufacturing and construction are now being balanced by job losses in retail and hospitality where more women than men work.

"This is going to be an equal opportunities recession."

Tags; Young Family Finances, Job loss, Recent Graduate Debt,

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