Government accused of being “female-unfriendly”

THE government has been accused of being the most “female-unfriendly” in living memory following new research showing how difficult it is for women to find well-paid part-time work.

The TUC said it expects another rise in female unemployment when official figures are published today, following last month’s figure of 1.12 million.

A study by the union organisation showed that thousands of professional women in the public sector were to lose their jobs because of spending cuts, while jobs in private firms were often low-skilled and poorly paid.

Women’s employment in the private sector remains concentrated in areas such as caring, catering and clerical work, with a gender pay gap of more than 18 per cent, twice as high as in the public sector, said the report, being discussed today at the TUC Women’s Conference in London.