and squeezed budget and part-time jobs [Financial Mail on Sunday, London]

July 15–MANY women are struggling emotionally as well as financially to deal with the impact on their household budget of the recession, rising prices and higher tax bills.

They are also big losers from the continued shrinkage of the economy as part-time jobs, which they tend to dominate, are being lost.

These are the findings of a report by the Centre for the Modern Family, a think-tank sponsored by insurance giant Scottish Widows, part of Lloyds Banking Group.

The think-tank interviewed 1,500 people across the country in April, asking them how they and their families were coping with life, especially from a financial perspective.

According to the findings, more women (48 per cent) are facing financial challenges than men (32 per cent) while unemployment is also an issue for a bigger proportion of women (18 per cent) than for men (14 per cent).

A quarter of women have sold items online to make ends meet while 23 per cent have had to borrow from family.

Liz Fraser, one of the think-tank’s panel of experts and a leading author on parenting issues, says: ‘We know that women are more likely to worry about financial issues.

‘However, they are being hit hard by the current recession. Many have part-time jobs to fit around their children and these tend to be the first jobs to go in a downturn.

‘Women tend to be at home more than men and take care of the day-to-day running of a family, so they are noticing every small change in the family kitty, which causes great concern.

‘Women also tend to be the emotional linchpin of the family, and if they are struggling to cope this can greatly affect the emotions of the whole family.’ ...Read more