Women and the Cost of Living

Debate between Gloria De Piero and Debbie Abrahams

Tuesday 19th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Gloria De Piero]

It is absolutely right that women are hit three times as hard, and I will explain later how that has happened.

Half of mums surveyed by Netmums said that to save money they turned off the heating when their children were out. The Government talk about recovery, but these women know it is definitely not a recovery for women. Under this Government, unemployment among women has reached its highest levels in a generation, long-term female unemployment has increased eight times as fast as for men, the number of older women unemployed has increased by more than a third, and black and minority ethnic women are twice as likely to be unemployed as the national average.

[Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Lab)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that the 242% increase in unemployment among women over 25 in Oldham over the past couple of years is a real indictment of the Government and their policies?

[Gloria De Piero]

That is absolutely right. That is why it is important to tackle long-term unemployment, and that is exactly what a Labour Government would do.

When women do manage to find work, more often than not it is part time, low-wage or temporary. The number of women working in temporary jobs increased twice as fast as the number of men. Three times more young women are in low-wage jobs than 20 years ago, and the number of women in part-time work is at its highest level ever.