Huddersfield has been branded a blackspot when it comes to pay for part-time women workers.

Figures from the TUC show that almost 60% of women working part-time in jobs in the Huddersfield area earn less than the Living Wage of £7.85 an hour – putting it fourth from bottom among Yorkshire and Humber constituencies.

By contrast, Colne Valley is fifth best-performing constituency with 35.5% of women working part-time receiving less than the Living Wage.

East Yorkshire has the highest percentage of women part-time workers earning below the Living Wage at 63.3% followed by Beverley and Holderness on 62% and Barnsley East on 61.2%. Huddersfield on 59.8% is followed by Brigg and Goole with 59.3%.

Sheffield Central is the best-performing constituency with 31.9% of women part-time workers on less than the Living Wage followed by Leeds Central on 32.4%, Leeds East on 34.4%, York Central on 34.8% then Colne Valley.

Calder Valley has 43.9% of women part-time workers getting less than the Living Wage while the percentage for Dewsbury is 54.6% and the Wakefield figure is 41.2%.

Across Yorkshire, more than two in five part-time jobs pay less than the Living Wage
Across Yorkshire, more than two in five part-time jobs pay less than the Living Wage

Across the region, more than two in five part-time women’s jobs pay less than the Living Wage, according to the figures, which have been published to mark Part-time Equal Pay Day today.

The TUC said that earning less than the Living Wage was the norm for women part-time workers in 23 of Yorkshire and the Humber’s 54 parliamentary constituencies.

It added: “With women accounting for almost three-quarters of Britain’s 6m strong part-time workforce, the lack of skilled, decently-paid, part-time jobs affects women’s pay and their career prospects far more than it does men.”

The TUC said it wanted to see more well-paid jobs across all sectors and grades advertised on a part-time basis.

Analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Timewise Foundation found that for every one part-time job vacancy advertised at £20,000 (pro-rata) there were 18 full-time vacancies at this level. Too often, women had to take a pay cut and a job beneath their skill, qualifications and experience level in order to be able to work part-time once they have children.

TUC regional secretary Bill Adams said: “Working part-time shouldn’t mean poverty pay, but for lots of women in the Yorkshire and the Humber that is the reality.

“The Living Wage was created to provide workers with a basic standard of living. However, many part-time women in our region earn well below £7.85 an hour and now face being hit by the Chancellor’s cuts to tax credits which will wipe out any gains from his new minimum wage premium.”