Millions of jobs done by British women are paid less than the Real Living Wage, research shows today.
Some 2.07m posts held by women - 14% of the total - are below the pay level experts say is needed for a decent living standard, compared with 1.4m roles held by men - 9%.
Women are also more likely to be on zero-hours contracts, with 13% of those in shift work employed on the deals compared with 9% of men, according to an analysis by the Living Wage Foundation.
Jobs held by women account for almost 60% of all roles paid below the Real Living Wage.
The study comes as the world prepares to mark International Women’s Day on Wednesday.
The Foundation’s director Katherine Chapman said: “Our research demonstrates the reality that millions of women in the UK – often cleaners, catering staff and care workers – are more likely to be trapped in low-paying, insecure and precarious jobs.
“This year’s International Women’s Day 2023 is focused on equity; the sticky floor of low pay and precarious work is holding women back - true equity needs to start with a Real Living Wage.”
The Real Living Wage is £10.90 an hour across the UK, rising to £11.95 in London where costs are higher.
In contrast, the Government’s “National Living Wage” - a rebranded legal minimum - is £9.50 an hour and only applies to workers aged 23 and over.
Staff aged 21 and 22 get £9.18, those aged 18 to 20 receive £6.83 and under-18s just £4.81.
The Foundation says a full-time worker on the Real Living Wage would be £2,730 better off compared with someone earning the Government’s National Living Wage.
It comes after the Mirror revealed last month how dozens of firms have signed up to a “secure work” pledge for staff battling the cost-of-living crisis.
Fifty employers have backed the “Living Hours” pledge so employees get at least four weeks’ notice of shifts and a guaranteed minimum 16 hours a week.
Supporters say it helps give staff certainty, allowing them to plan better their financial outgoings because they know how much they will earn and when.
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The scheme was launched by the Living Wage Foundation in a bid to crackdown on unscrupulous bosses who book or cancel shifts at short notice - often without compensating desperate workers.
Ms Chapman said: “Insecure work makes planning a life and a budget almost impossible.
“With almost one in three working adults in the UK being given less than a week’s notice of shifts, we’re calling on employers to join those who have already stepped up during the cost-of-living crisis and commit to provide workers with Living Hours alongside a Real Living Wage.”
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