“There are big differences in income between people who work at different jobs and in different sectors of the UK economy.”

Outline the evidence which supports this viewpoint.Evidence to support this viewpoint is that the top 10 % earn at

least four times as much as the bottom 10 %. The highest average earnings were in the financial sectors such as the banks and insurance, in computer related industries and in radio and television. Hotels, restaurants, farming, retail and bar work paid the least.

What type of person is likely to be in low income employment ?

Females who are 50 and over are likely to be in low-income employment, women are more likely to work part time jobs, so therefore earn less. Under 16 hours a week is considered part-time employment.

What types of jobs are most likely to be low paid?

The highest paid occupations are directors and chief executives of major organisations who earned on average £2,301 per week in 2003. The lowest paid earned only a tenth of the income of directors and chief executives, retail cashiers and check-out operators earned on average £207 per week.

The table on page 19 shows that the higher the level of education attained the higher the expectations of earning a higher income.

Table 2.7 on page 19 shows that people with no qualifications on average earn up to £300 a week and people with degrees or equivalent on average up to £700 a week.