Sue Moroney
Women’s Affairs Spokesperson

6 August 2009

15,000 women lose their jobs in three months

Women have taken the brunt of the job losses in the economic recession, says Labour's spokesperson for Women's Affairs, Sue Moroney.

“Because the Government has no job protection or creation plans for areas of the economy where women work, 15,000 women lost their jobs during the three months to June.

"Women represent 62.5% of those who lost jobs in the last quarter. Women seem to be consistently on the wrong side of the ledger under this Government.

"This has a huge impact on families, as we know that more children are dependant for their well-being on income being earned by a woman, particularly in sole parent families," said Sue Moroney.

"National has ignored the needs of women in the workforce and this disproportionately affects children.

“The Government has ignored the number of women losing their jobs by focussing solely on unemployment benefit numbers, when in reality many women who lose their jobs and have children find themselves receiving the Domestic Purposes Benefit.

"The Government has focused areas of the economy where men predominantly work, such as road construction, and have left women exposed to the sharpest edge of the recession.

"Questions must now be asked why the Minister of Women’s Affairs Pansy Wong has sat by and done nothing while 15,000 women lost their jobs and 8000 more have gone on the DPB?”

ENDS

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