A recent report has found that low paid women, who make up around 25% of all female employees in the UK, are not benefiting from the ongoing economic recovery.

The report, by the Fawcett Society, found that:

• Since the start of the crisis in 2008, almost a million (826,000) extra women have moved into types of work that are typically low paid and insecure. Around one in eight low paid women now describe themselves as on a zero-hours contract.
• The increasing levels of women in low paid work, along with the declining value of low pay, are contributing to the widening inequality gap between women and men. Last year the gender pay gap increased for the first time in five years and now stands at 19.1% for all employees
• High levels of low paid women are working significantly below their skill or qualification level: 22% of those on low pay are educated to degree level and 36.8% describe themselves as ‘overqualified and over-skilled’ for their current job

“Whilst the economy moves into recovery it’s clear that that low paid women are not benefitting and, in many respects, are seeing their position deteriorate,” commented Dr Eva Neitzert, Deputy CEO at the Fawcett Society. “In turn, this is contributing to the widening inequality gap between women and men.”

“Last year we saw the gender pay gap, one of the key indicators of equality between women and men, increase for the first time in five years,” she added. “On average, women now take home only 81p for every £1 a man earns. After years of slow but steady progress, this is a damming indictment of the Government’s record when it comes to women’s standing in the economy.”

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