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The news may be of interest of women looking for new ways to earn extra money during the economic downturn.
According to research by the European commission, women are also more likely to lose their jobs as a result of the economic downturn than men, reports the Irish Times.
Vladimir Spidla, the European Union's employment commissioner, recently launched a new campaign aimed at reducing the pay gap in Europe.
He commented: "We cannot continue wasting the potential of women in the economy and squander what we have achieved in equality."
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the gender pay gap in the UK widened between 2007 and 2008.
