While analysis from economists at Citi shows that female employment dropped by up to three percentage points more than male employment across major economies amid the initial wave of the pandemic, Office for National Statistics figures suggest the UK bucked the trend, with men accounting for three-quarters of the fall in employment. It has also been shown that the UK has not seen unemployment surge as much as the US or eurozone amid the crisis, with the jobless rate at 5% in November compared to 4% before the pandemic. Insight into the data suggests the UK’s unemployment rate was prevented from spiking by the furlough scheme. In regard to the gender divide, the varying types of work undertaken by men and by women is said to be factor, with men more likely to work for themselves and women far more likely to work for the public sector. Vicky Pryce at the Centre for Economics and Business Research notes that women are more likely to have suffered cuts to their pay or hours, while childcare issues may have had an impact on the hours they can work.
Read more: The Daily Telegraph
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