Fairer sex is also hardest working (From The Argus)

Fairer sex is also hardest working

11:00am Tuesday 1st January 2013 in News

The fairer sex is also the hardest working in Sussex, according to recently released figures.

Women make up half or more of the total number of employees in 12 out of 13 local authority areas in Sussex, according to figures from the 2011 census.

Hastings and Rother have the highest numbers of female employees with 52.6% of employees resident in these areas being women.

In Chichester it is 51.3%, in Brighton and Hove it is 50.7%, in Horsham it is 50.2%, in Mid Sussex it is 50.1% while in Crawley it is just 49.3%.

Nationally the workforce is split down the middle, with exactly half being men and half women.

It has been suggested the number of women in employment is particularly high in areas such as Hastings due to the type of work available.

GMB Equality and Inclusion Officer Kamaljeet Jandu said: “In Hastings I suspect there is a lot of retail and office based jobs compared to somewhere like Crawley.

"Women’s employment tends to be characterised by retail work and also part time or temporary work.”

The number of female employees resident in Eastbourne and Adur stands at 52.1%, with Arun not far behind at 52%, Lewes at 51.9% and Wealden and Worthing at 51.5%.

The figures prove men are no longer the sole breadwinner and have sparked calls from trade union GMB for tougher policies on equality in the workplace.

GMB Regional Secretary Paul Maloney said: “Equal pay for women is not just an issue of fairness but is something that directly impacts on the economic prosperity of many areas.”

Mr Maloney urged politicians to consider the impact on women’s wage packets when they propose changes to employment policies.

Mr Jandu added: “Women are no longer working for pin money.

"They are central to family and working life and that needs to be at the core of government policy.”

The GMB also called on employers to take more action to accommodate women who want to work and have a family.

Mr Maloney said: “Employers need to acknowledge the fundamental importance of flexible working and family friendly policies as women still continue to take on the burden of domestic work and childcare.”