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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

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1 Warm-up

Do you think that men in your country are earning less than they were ten years ago?

2 Key vocabulary

Match the words on the left to their definitions on the right.

1. a generation a. a difference between things

2. earn b. all the people of the same age

3. living standards c. an ability to do a job well

4. during d. from the beginning to the end of a period of time

5. experience e. the amount of money and comfort that people have

6. skill f. to get money as payment for work

7. a split g. to have (something) happen to you

8. increase h. to (make something) become larger in amount

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3 Find the information

You’re going to read an article about how millennial men in the United Kingdom are earning less than
the generation before them. Before you read, guess the correct answer for each of the questions
below, then scan the text on the next page to confirm or correct your answers.

1. How much less do young men earn during their 20’s than the generation before them?

a. £10,000 b. £12,500 c. £17,000

2. What is the fall in the percentage of the number of young women working as secretaries?

a. 36% b. 50% c. 66%

3. How many young men between the ages of 22 to 35 in the U.K. now work in stores?

a. 125,000 b. 160,000 c. 185,000

4. What is the increase in the percentage of the number of young men working in low-paid jobs?

a. 45% b. 50% c. 55%

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
PAY CRISIS
Millennial men ’earning less than previous generation’
The number of young men doing low-paid work increased by around 45% between 1993 and 2016
1.
Young men today earn an average of £12,500 less
during their 20’s than the generation before them,
says a new report.
2.
Research that was done by experts from the
Resolution Foundation, which is trying to improve
living standards for British people that have low or
middle-incomes, shows that the millennial generation
is earning less than people from Generation X during
every year between the ages of 22 to 30.
3.
However, the research showed that women’s pay has
stayed the same in this age group for each generation.
So, the Foundation says that the pay gap between
millennial men and women has gotten smaller, "but
for the wrong reasons".
4.
Millennials are people that were born between 1981
and 2000. Generation X are people born between
1966 and 1980.
5.
The Foundation says that men’s pay has gone down,
because people are moving towards doing low-skilled
jobs, which they often do part-time.
6.
The Foundation says that both men and women are
experiencing problems because there are fewer jobs
available that you need a medium level of skill for.
40% fewer men between the ages of 22 to 35 are
working in manufacturing jobs, and 66% fewer young
women are working as secretaries, they wrote.
7.
They said that the job market is now growing, and
that more women are now working in jobs that need
a high level of skills. However for men, the split is
between high and low paying jobs.
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8.
In fact, the research showed that the number of
young men working in low-paid jobs increased by
around 45% between 1993 and 2016.
9.
The number of young men in stores almost doubled
in that time, from 85,000 to 165,000. However,
the number of young women working in these jobs
fell over that period, even though women are still
much more likely to work in stores than men, the
Foundation said.
10.
They wrote that the number of young men working
in bars and restaurants has tripled from 45,000 to
130,000 since 1993.
11.
Since 1993, the number of men aged 22 to 35 that are
working part-time in low-paid jobs, like basic admin,
hospitality, and sales, has increased four times. In
comparison, the number of young women working in
these jobs part-time has fallen.
12.
The Foundation said that the idea that each
generation should do better than the last is no
longer true. The executive director said that
today’s millennials are the first to earn less than the
generation before them.
13.
He said, however, that more women working in
higher-skilled jobs is a welcome development, and
this shows that education and feminism can challenge
the movement towards a situation where many jobs
are done by machines.
Adapted from the Independent, by Josie Cox, February
9th, 2017
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4 Work vocabulary
Choose the best word for each example sentence.

hospitality job market low-paid low-skilled

manufacturing middle-income part-time pay gap

1. Diego is from a family. They can go on vacation, but not to a very expensive
place.
2. There is still a big between the amount that men and women earn.
3. Jasmine only works in the evenings . She studies during the day.
4. A lot of people can’t find work. The is too crowded right now.
5. It’s a job, but she still manages to save to go on vacation.
6. Melanie works in a job. She is a waitress in a restaurant.
7. His job is very . He didn’t need a lot of training to work there.
8. There aren’t many jobs in the area now. They closed many of the factories.

5 Grammar: Present perfect vs. simple past

Study the below sentences from the text. Which of these shows present perfect, and
which shows simple past?
1. The research showed that the number of young men doing low-paid work increased by
around 45 per cent between 1993 and 2016.
2. The number of men working part time in low-paid jobs has increased.
Which of these refers to an event that happened at a specific time in the past?
Which of these refers to a situation that started in the past and has a connection to the
present?

Now complete the sentences below with the verb in parenthesis and the correct form of present
perfect or simple past.

1. Men’s average salary (go) down between 1993 and 2016.

2. The number of young women working as secretaries (fall) recently.
3. The number of young men working in hospitality jobs (triple) during the last 20
years.
4. The figure for people working in hospitality jobs during that period. (double)
5. The job market (grow) in 2016. There is much more work available now.
6. Women’s pay (not/increase) much over the past few years.
7. I (not/earn) a lot last year. It was hard to pay my bills.
8. Things (not/improve) for many people as salaries 9. . (not/rise)

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6 Talking point

Discuss any of the questions below in pairs or groups.

1. Are you surprised by the results of this report? Why/why not?

2. Why do you think that less young women are working as secretaries?
3. Is there a similar situation in your country? If so, what do you think are the reasons for this?

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TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

PAY CRISIS

Key

1. Warm-up

Encourage a short discussion.

2. Key vocabulary

Students can work in pairs and check with the teacher.

1. b 2. f 3. e 4. d 5. g 6. c 7. a 8. h

3. Find the information

Students can work alone and check in pairs.

1. b 2. c 3. b 4. a

4. Work vocabulary

Students can work in pairs and check with the teacher.

1. middle-income 2. pay gap 3. part-time
4. job market 5. low-paid 6. hospitality
7. low-skilled 8. manufacturing

5. Grammar: Present perfect vs. simple past

Present perfect vs. simple past: Sentence 1. uses simple past (an event that happened at a specific time in the
past), sentence 2. uses present perfect (a situation that started in the past and has a connection to the present).
1. went 2. has fallen 3. has tripled
4. doubled 5. grew 6. hasn’t increased
7. didn’t earn 8. haven’t improved 9. haven’t risen

6. Talking point

Monitor the activity. Make a note of any typical errors and write useful words on the board.

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