The average worker in Britain's south-west has lost ￡1522 a year ($2255) in earnings since the coalition came to power, new research from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) showed, Morning Star said on April 19.
The figures, which do not take into account rises in consumption taxes or cuts to benefits, came to light at the start of the South West TUC annual conference.
The report shows that the real-terms pay cut is due partly to wages failing to keep up with inflation, and partly because well-paid jobs are being replaced by lower-wage ones, many of which are part-time. Average weekly earnings in 2010 for the south-west were ￡506. Last year they were ￡477, a drop of 5.8%.