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Thursday 09 February 2017 10:41 am

Here’s how much less millennial men are earning

By: Lynsey Barber

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Were you born after 1980? Are you a man? You're probably earning less than previous generations were at the same age.

Millennial men have earned less than generation X (those born before 1980) every single year of their 20s, new figures reveal.

And by the time they reach 30, the cumulative loss in earnings compared to the older generation comes in at £12,500.

Read more:

The research from the Resolution Foundation identified that the fall in earnings came from more men being employed in lower skilled jobs in sectors such as sales and basic services. Those working in these areas part-time has risen four-fold since 1993, while the number working in retail has doubled and those in restaurant or bar work has tripled.

The good news is the figures indicate a narrowing of the pay gap between men and women, though millennial women's earnings still remain unchanged in comparison to previous generations.

But the think tank  raised concerns over young men and work, saying that a rise in earnings should be seen across the board.

Read more: This is probably the most millennial job you'll ever see

"In one sense this is a story of female progress on a massive scale. Women are leaving low paid occupations in their thousands. As public policy has supported female employment, with better maternity and childcare policies, and cultural norms have shifted, more women are finding work that pays a good wage," said researcher Daniel Tomlinson.

"But, on the flip side, the fact that the UK has a large low-paid service sector economy is something that increasing numbers of young men will now be able to testify to. It’s good news that low paid roles are now more evenly shared between men and women but the way in which this is happening raises serious concerns about what the world of work has to offer some young men."

And the answer to this problem could lie with robots, meaning most people can avoid having to enter low-skilled jobs.

"Until robots can stack shelves or serve pizzas, there will always be a lot of work to be done in the UK’s low-paid service sector. The burden of low paid work is becoming more gender balanced but it is far from being eliminated. More robots rather than less would help in this regard."

The think tank's executive director Torsten Bell said such insight should inform policy, encourage people to look beyond the headline figures of rising employment in the UK, and "to recognise the challenges posed to groups of workers that are left behind".

"Policy makers need to recognise the frustration that can follow from finding that Britain does not have the opportunities you had hoped or indeed seen previous generations enjoy," he said.

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