Ministers look to limit female job losses

26/01/2009

Women ministers have pressed Gordon Brown for new laws to protect female workers from being made redundant in the current recession.

Recent data suggesting that the unemployment rate was rising higher for women than it is for men have been highlighted at recent meetings of the government's economic "war council", the Sunday Times reports.

According to the jobs figures, 53,000 females lost their jobs over the past three months, compared to 36,000 men.

Current measures planned to help matters include a probe from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, looking into possible discrimination against women who work in finance.

Harriet Harman, women's minister, said: "There is a major fear about women being targeted by their employers during the downturn. This is unlawful."

The UK economy is officially in recession, government figures revealed last week.

According to the output data, the economy is shrinking at a faster rate than at any time since 1980.

Tags; Young Family Finances, Job loss,

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