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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/29/recession-continues-affect-wages-britain-financial-crisis
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| From solicitors to scientists: how the 2008 recession continues to affect wages From solicitors to scientists: how the 2008 recession continues to affect wages | |
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| Do you feel as if you never have enough money? New data might explain why – a report by the TUC, published on Wednesday, found that Britain has been hit by a bigger fall in real wages since the financial crisis than any other OECD country apart from Greece. This comes at a time when wages have been growing in other countries, including Poland, Germany and France. | Do you feel as if you never have enough money? New data might explain why – a report by the TUC, published on Wednesday, found that Britain has been hit by a bigger fall in real wages since the financial crisis than any other OECD country apart from Greece. This comes at a time when wages have been growing in other countries, including Poland, Germany and France. |
| What impact has this had on people’s lives? We asked for your stories. | What impact has this had on people’s lives? We asked for your stories. |
| Charity worker – £26,000 | Charity worker – £26,000 |
| My lack of pay has made me feel devalued – Nick, 34, London | My lack of pay has made me feel devalued – Nick, 34, London |
| My salary was £25,000 five years ago, and since then it’s gone up to £26,000 – an increase, but one that doesn’t reflect the extra work I do now due to staff cuts, and the increase in my bills, let alone rising rent. | My salary was £25,000 five years ago, and since then it’s gone up to £26,000 – an increase, but one that doesn’t reflect the extra work I do now due to staff cuts, and the increase in my bills, let alone rising rent. |
| Over the past three years, all “cost of living” or “extra experience” rises (normally 1-2%) have also been cancelled. The entire fundraising team was made redundant a few years ago, as were many of the other staff, and the rest of us have had to pick up their work. This was all part of a cost-cutting exercise to slim down the organisation. | Over the past three years, all “cost of living” or “extra experience” rises (normally 1-2%) have also been cancelled. The entire fundraising team was made redundant a few years ago, as were many of the other staff, and the rest of us have had to pick up their work. This was all part of a cost-cutting exercise to slim down the organisation. |
| My lack of pay has made me feel devalued. Why should I put effort into improving my work and my employer’s goals if the only reward for success is being given more work? I’ve been looking for jobs elsewhere but the chances of getting anything permanent and full-time are slim. All this means that five years on I’m still repaying the £2,000 loan I took out to move to London in the first place. We don’t take holidays, and it was only after my wife ended a stay in hospital, and was able to get a job, that we could start paying off our debts. | My lack of pay has made me feel devalued. Why should I put effort into improving my work and my employer’s goals if the only reward for success is being given more work? I’ve been looking for jobs elsewhere but the chances of getting anything permanent and full-time are slim. All this means that five years on I’m still repaying the £2,000 loan I took out to move to London in the first place. We don’t take holidays, and it was only after my wife ended a stay in hospital, and was able to get a job, that we could start paying off our debts. |
| I also worry about the impact of Brexit. The panic around it means our trustees and chief executive make decisions differently – postponing pay rises, cutting back on admin staff and stopping perks. | I also worry about the impact of Brexit. The panic around it means our trustees and chief executive make decisions differently – postponing pay rises, cutting back on admin staff and stopping perks. |
| Solicitor – £32,000 | Solicitor – £32,000 |
| I earn less as a qualified solicitor than I did as a paralegal – Megan, 34, Salisbury | I earn less as a qualified solicitor than I did as a paralegal – Megan, 34, Salisbury |
| In 2008, before I qualified as a solicitor, I was working as a legal assistant, earning £34,000 plus bonuses that averaged £8,000 a year. I started my training contract just as the financial crisis hit and on qualifying in 2010 I returned to a position effectively identical to my pre-qualification role, but salaries had dropped dramatically. Between 2010 and 2015 my salary remained static at £25,000 despite my increasing level of experience and bigger work load. My salary is now £32,000, meaning I earn less as a five-year qualified solicitor than I did pre-recession as an unqualified paralegal. | In 2008, before I qualified as a solicitor, I was working as a legal assistant, earning £34,000 plus bonuses that averaged £8,000 a year. I started my training contract just as the financial crisis hit and on qualifying in 2010 I returned to a position effectively identical to my pre-qualification role, but salaries had dropped dramatically. Between 2010 and 2015 my salary remained static at £25,000 despite my increasing level of experience and bigger work load. My salary is now £32,000, meaning I earn less as a five-year qualified solicitor than I did pre-recession as an unqualified paralegal. |
| I feel undervalued and as though there has been no advantage at all in spending thousands of pounds on my education. I am currently on maternity leave. When I return to work I will be spending more money on childcare than the amount I take home. My husband and I would love a second child but we do not think we will be able to afford it. | I feel undervalued and as though there has been no advantage at all in spending thousands of pounds on my education. I am currently on maternity leave. When I return to work I will be spending more money on childcare than the amount I take home. My husband and I would love a second child but we do not think we will be able to afford it. |
| My older colleagues were able to buy a house at least five years before I did and, while we were able to buy a house last year, we only managed this with significant financial assistance from my in-laws. | My older colleagues were able to buy a house at least five years before I did and, while we were able to buy a house last year, we only managed this with significant financial assistance from my in-laws. |
| I am continually stressed and worried; there have been times when I have struggled to meet my bills. I have suffered from depression in the past and anxiety about my finances and job security has often left me feeling isolated and distressed. | I am continually stressed and worried; there have been times when I have struggled to meet my bills. I have suffered from depression in the past and anxiety about my finances and job security has often left me feeling isolated and distressed. |
| Professional in media company – £40,000 | Professional in media company – £40,000 |
| I can’t earn enough to get a mortgage – Ken, 40, London | I can’t earn enough to get a mortgage – Ken, 40, London |
| I haven’t had a pay rise in five years. Wages have flatlined but the costs of living have gone up. We will not be going on holiday this year and probably not next year either. I earn £40,000 a year but am married with two children. My wife has a part-time job but that brings in just under £10,000 a year, and the government says we’re rich. I rent, I cannot afford a mortgage and I wonder what the point of university was after all. | I haven’t had a pay rise in five years. Wages have flatlined but the costs of living have gone up. We will not be going on holiday this year and probably not next year either. I earn £40,000 a year but am married with two children. My wife has a part-time job but that brings in just under £10,000 a year, and the government says we’re rich. I rent, I cannot afford a mortgage and I wonder what the point of university was after all. |
| London is supposedly a great city because of its opportunities but it just feels as though the lucky few at the top are squeezing everyone else dry to maintain their wealthy lifestyles. I can’t see how I can stay in London. I can’t earn enough to get a mortgage. | London is supposedly a great city because of its opportunities but it just feels as though the lucky few at the top are squeezing everyone else dry to maintain their wealthy lifestyles. I can’t see how I can stay in London. I can’t earn enough to get a mortgage. |
| When I see friends, all of us just seem to talk about the one issue that affects us all – the fact we have no chance to get on the housing ladder. It makes us depressed, to be honest. | When I see friends, all of us just seem to talk about the one issue that affects us all – the fact we have no chance to get on the housing ladder. It makes us depressed, to be honest. |
| Scientist – about £18,000 | Scientist – about £18,000 |
| I’ve not been on holiday for three years – Antony, 42, Suffolk | I’ve not been on holiday for three years – Antony, 42, Suffolk |
| I was made redundant in 2011, and spent ages trying to find a job with similar pay to the £30,000 I had been earning. I failed, and set my sights lower. My current wage pays just over £18,000, and there’s little chance of that increasing. Promotions here are few and far between, but the company I work for is fun and the people great to be with. I like working here, I just wish the money was better. | I was made redundant in 2011, and spent ages trying to find a job with similar pay to the £30,000 I had been earning. I failed, and set my sights lower. My current wage pays just over £18,000, and there’s little chance of that increasing. Promotions here are few and far between, but the company I work for is fun and the people great to be with. I like working here, I just wish the money was better. |
| My wage now covers the mortgage and bills, and little else. I have to make several decisions every month: do I buy new shoes or can I carry on with the old, worn-out ones? Can I take the bus this week or must I cycle? How much can I save so that I can buy my wife a birthday present? I no longer go out: no booze, no fags, no luxury food. My wife and I are considering selling the house and going with something much smaller. We don’t have children and that’s now unlikely to change. | My wage now covers the mortgage and bills, and little else. I have to make several decisions every month: do I buy new shoes or can I carry on with the old, worn-out ones? Can I take the bus this week or must I cycle? How much can I save so that I can buy my wife a birthday present? I no longer go out: no booze, no fags, no luxury food. My wife and I are considering selling the house and going with something much smaller. We don’t have children and that’s now unlikely to change. |
| I’m anxious, depressed and frustrated. I’ve not been on holiday for three years – even when I take time off I can’t even go somewhere for a change of scenery. We’d love to have a cat, but we’re scared of the vet bills and the added cost of food. | I’m anxious, depressed and frustrated. I’ve not been on holiday for three years – even when I take time off I can’t even go somewhere for a change of scenery. We’d love to have a cat, but we’re scared of the vet bills and the added cost of food. |
| My personal experience, and that of my partner, is that the more I progress in my career, the less money I am paid. | My personal experience, and that of my partner, is that the more I progress in my career, the less money I am paid. |