Ahead of a reportedly āpainfulā budget at the end of October, most UK economic analysts are preparing for the worst. Whilst we can speculate on the details of what the Labour government will announce on the 30th, from previous recessions, it is clear who will bear the brunt of difficult choices made in Reevesā budget: the working class.
Yet, the intersection between class and gender must not be ignored in the discourse surrounding the effects of recession, with working class women being more susceptible to the negative consequences of economic downturn. This can be due to lower salaries and savings, insecure work contracts, and the difficulty of leaving an abusive partner in times of economic uncertainty. Ahead of the budget being released, we must understand how working-class women are disproportionately affected by economic hardship, as they are too often left out of the conversation.
As of 2023, the average UK woman earns Ā£534.8 less than men per month. As speculation of a National Insurance rise continues, with UK employers warning of job losses as a result, working class women could face the worst consequences of this, as they are less likely to have adequate savings to get them through a period of unemployment. Job losses would also impact women of colour even more, as poverty rates are already higher amongst South Asian and black women. Moreover, if the budget isnāt able to mitigate the effects of the inflation our economy has experienced in the last few years, working class women and especially, working-class women of colour, will continue to feel the effects of higher prices more drastically due to having less disposable income.
UK women are also 1.8 times more likely to be in severely insecure work than men. Insecure work is categorised as employment with no guaranteed hours, no employment rights, and unpredictable pay (think zero-hour contracts and the gig economy). This is only exacerbated for mothers and women of colour, who are also more likely to be in this type of work than their male counterparts. Keir Starmerās government must see that this is no accident. This is an example of how class and gender intersect in real life.
Women in these insecure work contracts are likely to be working in care and retail. These roles, often subconsciously, are associated with femininity and the āprivateā sphere and therefore overlooked by government. Within much feminist discourse, there is often a focus on getting middle and upper-class women to top-level positions within big business. So, often times, working-class women are forgotten about, both within policy and social movements. This is why, as feminists, is it so important to be intersectional in our approaches, especially with class, which seems to be often left out of the conversation. Through a truly intersectional social movement, we can hold those in power accountable to make economic decisions that will truly benefit all women. Ā
Lastly, economic downturn can make working class women less likely to leave abusive relationships, due to being tied to their abusive partner financially. A Women’s Aid 2022 survey found that 75 women of a sample of 137 respondents were financially linked with their abusive partner. Moreover, 66% of the women also disclosed that their partner was using the cost-of-living crisis as a manipulative tactic to further restrict their financial freedom. This is yet another display of the gendered impacts in a recession.
Overall, we cannot ignore how the intersections of class and gender make recessions more impactful for working class women. This is only further exacerbated by being a woman of colour, having a disability, or being a carer. This displays the importance of our feminism being truly intersectional and inclusive; we must hold ourselves accountable for how we value certain topics within our own discourse.
The UK government should also be held accountable for the decisions they make in the coming budget, as the working class will have to pay the price for any āpainfulā choices made. Whilst we cannot be sure exactly what economic policy will be put forward, it is clear that the outlook is bleak and tumultuous times are ahead. Who will be worst affected, is the question the Labour government must ask themselves.