Women’s pay will shrink by nearly £40 a month this year

Women’s real wages will “plummet” by nearly £40 a month this year, according to new analysis published by the TUC today (Friday).

The analysis of official data shows that women’s pay packets will shrink, in real terms, by £38 a month in 2022.

Public sector pay squeeze already hitting women

The analysis also reveals how women are already bearing the brunt of falling public sector pay.

Women in the public sector are earning, on average, £90 a month less – in real terms – than a year ago.

And with women accounting for nearly two-thirds of all public sector workers they are feeling the impact of falling public sector pay disproportionately.

The TUC warns that with inflation set to rise further, women working in the public sector will see their pay packets squeezed even tighter this year.

Decade of lost pay

Over the last decade women working in the public sector have already seen their pay fall sharply in value.

Separate analysis by the union body shows that many key workers are still earning thousands of pounds a year less – in real terms – than in 2010:

• Nurses’ real wages are down more than £2,700 per year
• Local government care workers are down more than £1,600 a year

Emergency Budget

The TUC has warned that Britain is facing a living standards emergency.

The union body is calling on the Chancellor to come back to parliament with an Emergency Budget to help families get through the months ahead.

The TUC says the government must:

• Boost pay, pensions and Universal Credit
• Impose a windfall tax on oil and gas profits to fund energy grants
• Ensure public sector pay awards keep pace with the cost of living and restore a decade of lost earnings
• Work with unions and employers to get pay rising across the economy

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“Everyone who works for a living deserves to earn a decent living.

“Women already suffer from the punishing gender pay gap and will now see their wages fall off a cliff this year.

“The government cannot look on as women across Britain are pushed deep into the red.

“The Chancellor must come back to parliament with an Emergency Budget.

“The longer ministers wait to deal with this living standards emergency – the more damage will be done.”

On the huge financial pressures facing women in the public sector, Frances added:

“Our amazing key workers in the public sector got us through this pandemic.

“But their wages have plummeted over the last year – and there is worse to come unless the government acts.

“Women working in our schools, hospitals and across our public services deserve a decent a pay rise.

“After more than a decade of standstill wages they cannot afford another year of real-terms pay cuts.”