TUC report discloses lack of stability for women in the jobs market

A report has indicated that that a growing trend in part-time employment and ‘forced’ self-employment has caused around one in eight working women with not enough paid hours to support themselves and their families.

While the number of women in employment has almost returned to pre-recession levels, the report indicates that this is because there are more women of working age and not because levels of unemployed women have decreased.  It also notes that the number of women who are not working because of family or caring commitments has remained level.

As a result of this information, the TUC has indicated that it is more accurate to rely upon the employment, rather than the unemployment, figures to determine how the recession has affected women in work.  It has stated that it is concerned by the increase in the use of self-employed people by companies, alleging that it is an easy way for them to avoid paying for National Insurance, holidays, pensions and sick pay.

The problem is exacerbated by a report that suggests that self-employment is linked to poor pay, with the median income decreasing from £11,300 in 2001 to £10, 300 in 2010.  The average pay for employees, however, has increased over the same time period to £18,900.

It is also reported that, while men lost their jobs at a faster rate at the start of the recession, women have lost out more over the last two years.  This has resulted in women having to change the type of work that they do, with the number of women in full-time employment reducing by 170,000 and the number of women becoming self-employed increasing by 200,000.

Men are still more likely to be self-employed but the recent rise in self-employment can be attributed more to women working for themselves.

The TUC states that the fall in earnings across the recession can be explained by the fall in full-time jobs and the increase in part-time work and self-employment.  It emphasised that self-employment offers far less security than paid work.  The report also states that the number of women who are forced to work part-time because they can’t find full-time jobs has increased over the last ten years.