Background: Women in Coventry are less likely than the national average to be in paid work[i]. The pay gap between women and men in Coventry is more than ten points higher than the national average pay gap[ii] Women in Coventry are the majority of workers throughout the public sector. For instance, 78% of City Council staff are women[iii].
The Cuts:
- Budget cuts are leading to public sector job losses in Coventry including at Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, West Midlands Police, the British Education and Communications Technology Agency and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
- There is a two year pay freeze across the public sector.
- The childcare tax credit is being cut from 80% to 70% of childcare costs.
- Some providers are cutting childcare provision.[iv]
The Impact: Women are likely to suffer disproportionately from job cuts and public sector pay freezes since they form the majority of public sector workers
Together with increased child care costs, this may lead to lower rates of employment for women and an increase in the pay gap. This will exacerbate overall inequality between men and women in Coventry
Read full Employment chapter in Unravelling Equality here
[i] Office for National Statistics., Labour market profile Coventry 2009-10. [online] Available at: http://nmweb.dur.ac.uk/reports/lmp/la/2038431966/report.aspx#tabrespop
[ii] Office for National Statistics, ‘Labour market profile Coventry’ accessible via http://nmweb.dur.ac.uk/reports/lmp/la/2038431966/report.aspx#tabrespop
Note ONS gives data for pay rates for people working in Coventry and people living in Coventry separately. We have looked here at pay for people working in Coventry.
[iii] Data supplied by Coventry City Council
[iv] For example Valley House has lost 15% of its funding for its children’s services and is no longer offering day care.
Coventry Women's Voices 