Women in the North miss out on £158m in wages every week compared to rest of England

Women in the North of England are more likely to be unable to work due to long-term sickness and disability and are missing out on a total of £158 million in wages every week compared to other areas of England, a new report has found.

Health Equity North research shows that women in the North live shorter lives, work more hours for less pay and are more likely to live in poverty than women in other regions, as reported by the Big Issue. Its latest figures show that inequality remains prevalent and has worsened in some areas.

Nearly 10% of women in the North East are economically inactive due to long-term sickness or disability. It is 8% of women in the North West and 7.3% in Yorkshire and the Humber. This is higher than the national average of 6.2% and considerably higher than the South East, where it is is 4.3%.

It is also significantly higher than 2021 – an increase of 3.9% in the North East, 2.9% in the North West and 2.5% in Yorkshire and the Humber.

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Dr Luke Munford, Health Equity North academic co-director and senior lecturer in health economics at the University of Manchester, said: “Women continue to be impacted by regional inequalities, and our latest research shows that there is no indication of these inequalities narrowing – in fact, we’re seeing the opposite – the inequalities are getting bigger.

“Rising long-term illness and disability, coupled with lower wages and other detrimental factors, have seen women trapped in a cycle that can only be broken by implementing ambitious and long-term targeted policies and support.”

Weekly wages for women in the North are below the national average. A full-time working woman earns £601 in the North East, £615 in Yorkshire and the Humber and £641 in the North West. By comparison, the national average is £672 and the average in London is £805.

That means women in the North lose around £8.2 billion a year compared to the national average.

Girls born in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humber in 2021 to 2023 can expect to live to around 81 to 82 years old, below the national average of 83 years old and three years below those born in London and the South East, who can expect to live to around 84 years old.

They also spend fewer of these years in good health. Girls born in the the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber in 2021 to 2023 live in good health to 57.5, 59.9 and 62 years on average. This is up to six years below the national average of 66.3 years.

Hannah Davies, executive director at Health Equity North, said: “The situation for women in the North of England is worse than we originally thought. When we published the Woman of the North report we knew the road to change would be a long one and shifting the dial on inequalities of this scale would not happen overnight.

“To push for the change that is so desperately needed we need to keep momentum, and we need to work together to ensure the voice of the North is heard by those with the power to change things.”

Health Equity North is holding a Woman of the North summit on Wednesday (7 May), which will see the launch of of a ‘Women of the North Charter’. This is backed by northern mayors Kim McGuinness and Tracy Brabin, who are both speaking at the event, and will call on mayors to use their powers to create fairer opportunities for women.

McGuinness, mayor of the North East, said:“The reality laid bare in this new analysis is unacceptable. It’s a damning reminder of the deep inequalities women in the North continue to face in health, in work, and in opportunity. It’s why I’m backing the Woman of the North Charter and committing to action that creates opportunities and delivers real change.”

She said the North East is investing in affordable childcare so women can access training and get back into work, introducing travel passes to help jobseekers reach interviews, and bringing buses back under public control to connect communities.

“These aren’t just policies, they’re lifelines for women who’ve been held back for too long,” McGuinness claimed. “I’m determined that the next generation of girls growing up in the North will have the same chances, the same health, and the same futures as anyone else in the country.”

Meanwhile, mayor of West Yorkshire Brabin said Health Equity North’s figures are a “damning indictment of modern Britain”. “But where successive governments have failed to fix these inequalities, devolution is turning the tide,” she claimed.

West Yorkshire has an adult’s skills fund to support women with caring responsibilities into training, and is delivering “more and cheaper bus journeys which women disproportionately rely on”.

It comes as the government has announced a series of reforms to push those facing long-term sickness and disability into employment – including devolving support to local areas.

Munford added: “It is clear that urgent action is required to address the worrying economic outcomes for northern women, which can not only impact their quality of life and health outcomes but also those of their children.

“These factors will continue to grow and exacerbate regional inequalities if they’re not tackled as a priority. We will continue to push our report recommendations and call on leaders take the opportunity to implement these so we can collectively work towards a fairer future for women and girls.”

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