Working women in Dorset will be feeling the pinch even more this Christmas having lost £43 a week in real terms since the crash of 2008.
The TUC South West has analysed figures from the Office of National Statistics to calculate the 13% fall in average pay.
Men in Dorset have seen a slight increase of £5 a week – a 1% rise in real terms.
The effect has widened the gender pay gap up to 18.7% compared to the national average of 17.1%
The worst pay squeeze in 200 years
The analysis further shows that as a result of pay not keeping pace with the cost of living. The average worker in the South West has lost out on £14,420 in real earnings since 2008, the worst hit UK region after London.
Workers are suffering the longest real wage squeeze in more than 200 years, with average pay packets not set to recover to their 2008 level until 2024.
The UK is also the only advanced economies (along with Italy) where real wages are still lower than a decade ago.
Nigel Costley, TUC Regional Secretary of the South West said:
“The government has failed to tackle Britain’s cost of living crisis. Many families will be worse off this Christmas than a decade ago, with working women suffering the biggest hit to their pay.”
“Childcare costs are rising. Cuts to bus and other public services continue. It’s no wonder people are fed up.”
“Ministers need to wake up and start listening to workers outside the Westminster bubble. We need to see public servants get the pay rise they’ve earned, and unions given the right to bargain in more workplaces. And we need to get the minimum wage to £10 an hour as soon as possible”.
“Austerity has failed families and damaged the economy. It is time for a change that will boost earnings and restore services. What people really want for Christmas is a decent pay rise.”
