This Work Audit looks at how the jobs recession that began back in 2008 has affected men and women across the jobs spectrum, based on official statistics from the Labour Force Survey. The report points to the relative success of older women (those aged 50-64 and those over 65) during the jobs recession. Older women, as well as men aged over 65, are the only groups to have registered an increase both in the number in work and employment rates since the start of the recession. They have also registered the smallest increases in unemployment.
Women have seen relatively strong net employment growth in managerial, professional and technical occupations but have done much less well in traditionally feminised occupations. The number of men performing this kind of semi-skilled white collar work has increased, the net fall in male employment resulting from substantial job loss in skilled and semi-skilled blue collar occupations - skilled trades and plant, process and machine operation – and unskilled work.