The vast majority of newly created jobs are in industries where the average wage is less than £8 an hour, a report revealed today.
More than 75 per cent of the 587,000 net rise in jobs since June 2010 has come in low-paid sectors such as retail and residential care.
About 23 per cent of the 131,000 jobs created since June 2010 have been in the highly paid computer programming industry where the average hourly wage is £18.40. There was no growth in the middle-paid industries, which account for nearly 75 per cent of the British workforce, the TUC claimed.
General secretary Frances O’Grady said the figures in its UK Low Pay Recovery report were ‘concerning’ and has called on the government to invest in high value manufacturing and the creative industries to kick start the economy.
‘One of the unreported struggles of recent years has been people being made redundant from middle-income jobs and having to take low-paid, low-skill jobs as it’s the only work available,’ she said.
‘Many people who are forced into low-paid work are not only having to take a massive financial hit but are having to put their careers on hold.
‘This trading down of jobs can also push those with lower skills and less experience, particularly young people, out of work altogether.
‘This is tough for workers and damaging for the wider economy.’
Ms O’Grady added: ‘Well paid, highly skilled jobs need to be at the heart of our recovery but this won’t happen without government intervention to get our economy growing.’
