Labor blamed these statistics on “stagnant wages, low growth, and a lack of interest in supporting women who remain in the workforce or re-enter.”
by Alexandra Rogers, political reporter @Journoamrogers
Thursday 23 November 2023 at 22:34, United Kingdom
New figures show that women in their 30s are on average £4,000 worse off a year than they were in 2010.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that the average full-time salary for those aged 30 to 39 has fallen from £37,899 in April 2010 to £33,740 in April 2023 – leaving them, on average, on £4,159. £350 a year and £350 a month are worse off in real terms.
The calculation was made using the Consumer Price Inflation Index, which tracks the average change in prices paid by consumers over a period of time for a basket of goods and services.
Labor blamed these figures on “stagnant wages, low growth, and a lack of interest in supporting women who remain in the workforce or re-enter.”
Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary Anneliese Dodds said: “The Conservatives have destroyed the economy and thrown out the bill to working women.”
She added: “Many women in their 30s are trying to get on the property ladder, into work and raising young children.
“But for many the reality is struggling to make ends meet, often worrying about the next bill, or unable to work due to expensive childcare or very inflexible jobs.”
The party also presented analysis from the House of Commons Library that showed women in London across all age groups were more than £4,300 worse off a year.
In the south-east, and Yorkshire and Humber, they were more than £2,000 a year worse off.
The release of these figures coincides with Equal Pay Day week, which the Fawcett Society says marks the time in the calendar year when women begin working for free due to wages lagging behind male earnings.
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Office for National Statistics figures earlier this month showed that the gender pay gap increased across all age groups between 2022 and 2023, except for 18-21 year olds, where it fell from 1.1% to negative 0.2%.
The biggest increase was seen among employees aged 30 to 39, where the gender pay gap increased from 2.3% to 4.7%, which the ONS said was the highest gender pay gap value for this age group since 2009.
The agency said the gender pay gap reached 7.7% in April this year, although it had been slowly declining over time.
Conservative Women’s Minister Maria Caulfield said: “Labour cannot be trusted to support women’s livelihoods – the number of unemployed women rose by 25 per cent when they were last in power.
“On the other hand, we have supported millions of women into work, helped record numbers of female entrepreneurs start businesses, and made significant progress in reducing the gender pay gap.
“We are going further than ever on child care reform to support parents in the workplace, and, as stated in this week’s fall statement, we are helping more women keep more of their hard-earned money through the largest package of tax cuts since Now, the eighties.
“We are ensuring women have the opportunity to build brighter, more secure lives for themselves and their families. Labour’s £28bn borrowing plan will fuel inflation and inevitably lead to higher taxes on households across the country.”