TUC – Women will be hit hardest by public sector cuts


by Unity    
8:00 am - March 10th 2010

Tweet       Share on Tumblr

A new report by the TUC, which is published today to coincide with the start of its annual Women’s Conference, indicates that women are likely to bear the brunt of any job losses resulting from early cuts in public services.

The report, Women and the Recession – One Year On, warns that early public spending cuts would hit female employment hardest because around four in ten women work in public sector occupations, compared to less than two in ten men.

Of particular concern here is the fact that those regions in which women are most likely to rely on the public sector for employment (Wales, the North East and Yorkshire and Humber) also have some of the highest male unemployment rates in the country, making it very likely that early spending cuts, of the kind favoured by the Tories, will result in a substantial rise in the number of families in which neither of the parents are in work.

The report also notes that job losses and other cuts in public expenditure will have a long-term impact on women by substantially reducing their retirement income.

Currently, the average income that women receive in retirement is a third less than the male average, a figure that would be far worse were it not for the superior record of the public sector in providing decent pensions for women and lower-paid staff. With women holding almost two-thirds (64.5 per cent) of defined benefit schemes in the public sector, any cuts in pension rights would disproportionately fall on them.

The report also estimates that women are currently subsidising the public sector to the tune of around £5billion a year in unpaid overtime.

Commenting on the report, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

“Slashing public spending may satisfy fiscal hawks and city traders but it would cause misery to millions of people who have already suffered from the recession. A fresh wave of public sector job losses could leave many families with both parents out of work.

“Many women choose to work in the public sector because it offers secure work with a good work-life balance and a decent retirement income. It’s hardly fair that these are now all under threat thanks to the mistakes of super-rich bankers, who are already back collecting their bonuses.

“When politicians talk about the need for deep spending cuts they rarely say how this would affect ordinary working people. But as our report makes clear – women would have to pay for these cuts with their jobs and pensions.”

The full report can be downloaded here.

   Tweet   Share on Tumblr   submit to reddit  


About the author
'Unity' is a regular contributor to Liberal Conspiracy. He also blogs at Ministry of Truth.
· Other posts by


Story Filed Under: Economy ,News ,Trade Unions


Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


Reader comments


1. IanVisits

What is public spending though?

Is it there to provide a service to the population, or is it a glorified job creation scheme?

If public spending is there to provide a service, then it follows that the service should be provided to the best possible standard at a reasonable cost. End of Story.

If it is actually a job creation scheme, as the TUC seems to be implying with their worries about job cuts affecting people, then why are we not employing even more people at even more cost to the taxpayer?

In addition, why is the TUC convinced that only the state can provide jobs for these people – are they unemployable by anyone else?

2. Tim Worstall

“around four in ten women work in public sector occupations, compared to less than two in ten men.”

And people still say that the higher costs of employing women (maternity leave etc etc etc) doesn’t impact upon private business’ willingness to hire them.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Paul Sandars

    RT @libcon: TUC – Women will be hit hardest by public sector cuts http://bit.ly/bllOC9

  2. The Cornish Democrat

    RT @libcon TUC – Women will be hit hardest by public sector cuts http://bit.ly/bllOC9

  3. jameskennell

    RT @libcon: TUC – Women will be hit hardest by public sector cuts http://bit.ly/bllOC9

  4. TUC news

    RT @libcon: TUC – Women will be hit hardest by public sector cuts http://bit.ly/bllOC9

  5. Paul Sandars

    RT @libcon: TUC – Women will be hit hardest by public sector cuts http://bit.ly/bllOC9

  6. Liberal Conspiracy

    TUC – Women will be hit hardest by public sector cuts http://bit.ly/bllOC9

  7. Cynthia Reed

    RT @CathElliott: RT @libcon: TUC – Women will be hit hardest by public sector cuts http://bit.ly/9mf9f5

  8. CathElliott

    RT @libcon: TUC – Women will be hit hardest by public sector cuts http://bit.ly/9mf9f5





Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.