by Brianna Crandall — February 29, 2016—According to the latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), U.K. workers in caring, leisure and service occupations are carrying the heaviest burden from the recession as earnings in real terms are down by 15.4% from 2007. The Chancellor said that the U.K. economy will be 12% bigger in 2020, so workers want to see that growth translating into pay rises above inflation to make up the lost ground, says GMB, Britain’s general union.
The real value of earnings in six of the nine main occupational groups has not recovered from the recession in 2008, according to the report. Overall in 2007, average earnings for all employees were £30,015. In 2015 average earnings increased by 12.2% to £33,689. During this period inflation was 25.6%. This still leaves average earnings for all employees 13.4% below 2007 level.
The worst-hit group has been workers in the caring, leisure and other service occupations group of jobs in the United Kingdom; their pay is still 15.4% below its value in 2007. Overall in 2007, earnings for this group were £16,455. In 2015 earnings increased by 10.2% to £18,130.
Jobs in this occupational group where a comparison can be made include ambulance staff (excluding paramedics), who have seen real value of earnings drop by 19.6%; childcare providers, who have seen a drop by 13.7%; hairdressers and barbers, by 12.3%; caretakers, by 11.8%; beauticians, by 11.1%; residential wardens, by 8.3%; housekeepers, by 7.7%; travel agents, by 4.6%; and dental nurses, by 2.9%.
The next-worst-affected occupational group is the “elementary occupations” (working-class or minimum-wage), where the real value of earnings for full-time workers is still 14% below its value in 2007.
In this group, the worst-affected jobs include industrial cleaning process occupations, where employees have seen real value of earnings drop by 24.3%; elementary cleaning occupations (toilet attendants; chimney cleaners), who have seen a drop by 18.8%; elementary sales occupations (home shoppers, retail order pickers, retail trolley assistants), by 18.5%; bar staff, by 15.8%; kitchen and catering assistants, by 15.2%; cleaners and domestics, by 12.9%; hospital porters, by 11.8%; refuse and salvage occupations, by 10.2%; postal workers, mail sorters, messengers and couriers, by 9.5%; packers, bottlers, canners and fillers, by 8.6%; shelf fillers, by 8.5%; farm workers, by 8.2%; launderers, dry cleaners and pressers, by 8.1%;, window cleaners, by 6.6%; and forestry workers, by 2.7%.
This data is from a new analysis by GMB of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2015 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) compared with comparable data from 2007.
