ABSTRACT
Evidence suggests that gendered patterns of participation in the labour market in Britain (and elsewhere) continue to have a substantial effect on the levels of economic security that women and men build up over the life course (Warren 2003; Rubery et al. 2005). In particular, women’s propensity for part-time, discontinuous work histories leads to lower pension entitlements and personal assets, as well as reducing lifetime earnings. The UK government’s Cabinet Office has calculated that on average over the lifetime of a woman with average qualifications, £240,000 is lost (Anderson et al. 2001). This is compared with the lifetime earnings of a man with average qualifications.
