Work and the Labour Market

At the Women’s Budget Group we recognise that the economy and wider society is dependent on unpaid labour. Because paid and unpaid work are inextricably linked, there cannot be a strong labour market without strong social infrastructure – from accessible and affordable early education and childcare, to social care, local services and a strong social security system.

Currently, men are more likely to be in paid work than women. Women, however, are more likely to be working part-time, and self-employed women are more likely than men to be in insecure work and/or on low earnings. There are substantial differences between different groups of women, with Black women the group most likely to be working on a zero-hours contract.

At the root of women’s disadvantage in the labour market is inequality in unpaid work. A crucial point for the development of the gender pay gap is having children. Implementing equal parental and caring leave policies is a crucial step to addressing this, alongside tackling occupational segregation, where women are concentrated in the low-paying ‘5 Cs’– cleaning, catering, caring, cashiering (retail) and clerical work.

For a gender equal economy, we need to transform the worlds of paid and unpaid work, to provide not just more jobs, but better jobs. These jobs would enable women and men to share paid and unpaid work equally. They would provide a secure and living income; be environmentally sustainable; and be free from gender stereotypes and discrimination.