Cost of Living Crisis: Are Sex Workers Being Affected?

In the UK, millions of households are facing a cost of living crisis. As the price of everyday goods and services has risen due to the highest recorded level of inflation since 1992, many people are being made to choose between eating and heating their homes. Whilst there is support out there, the forgotten community being left in the cold are sex workers in London, but why?

The sex work industry is still a taboo subject. Not much is really understood about how the industry operates by members of the general public. There is a still wide-scale misconception from assuming all escorts are drug addicts you find on a street corner, to every high-end escort you see in the news (charging £2000 a night) is taken on holidays by sugar daddies or adulting footballers and treated to expensive clothes, and taken for a free meal at the best 5-star restaurants in the city. Many people still do not consider sex work to be real work.

The reality for many London escorts is they are self-employed with no consistent income, trying to live and work in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Most sex workers in London are young girls from Eastern Europe who are trying to create a better life for themselves. These girls have no guarantees of earning any money and with the cost of living rising, the fear is that many girls will be forced back onto the street to earn pennies for gangs who control them.

So what factors are worrying sex workers and is there anything they can do?

House Prices On The Rise

Rightmove, the online real estate portal, in a recent study found that the average monthly rent being asked in London is £2142 per month. This figure has hit new record highs after the capital saw rent increase by 10.9% annually in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The huge increase in rent has had major effects on sex workers who have lived in London for years. 99% of escorts in London are based in the centre of the city, around Bayswater, Chelsea and Kensington where rent is at its highest. These girls have had hundreds of pounds added to their rent, putting added pressure on them to work. For some, it is forcing them out of their locational hotspot for bookings with local businessmen, as they look to live in cheaper areas of the city 

Of course, the cost of renting, also means many of the new girls looking to start escorting in the capital are struggling to find deposits or ways to show proof they can rent a property. This is forcing many young and potentially vulnerable girls into houseshares and hostels.

The Effects of the Ukraine Conflict

Across the world, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has affected everyone's lives. Whilst everyone in the UK is lucky to not feel the full effects of being in the centre of war, there have been price rises in many commodities causing energy and fuel prices to skyrocket.

The increase in energy bills, on top of extremely high rent costs, means many incall escorts may need to return to their homeland if they can not afford to continue living in their apartment.

If you rely on your vehicle to work, you will have been affected. Higher fuel costs means less money in your pocket. The large majority of escorts drive to outcall bookings. You might ask, why do they not use the tube? Recent tube strikes and inconsistent arrival and departure times create a problem for sex workers who may lose clients if they arrive late to a meet-up. Call girls can not rely on public transport

If both incall and outcall services become too expensive for the girl to offer, compared to the income they earn a month, how do you expect them to live?

What Options Do Sex Workers Have?

Increase Their Rates

Sex workers increasing how much they charge is always an option, but is it the solution? Of course, if the ladies are charging money per hour for time in their company they should make more money. The industry is very competitive and clients want value for money. Would increasing their rates mean more money or lost bookings?

The owner of London Deluxe, a reputable escort agency in London, discussed what they had witnessed happen to the industry over the past month. They said "Many of the girls have been forced to start increasing how much they charge. Before the most common price, the girls would charge was £150 an hour. That is now £200 an hour. We hope this does not put anyone off hiring these girls, but that is always a risk at the back of everyone's minds."

Move Out of London

Nobody wants to think their only option is to move out of their home. Sex workers are normal people at the day and don't want to leave behind friends or opportunities for work - after all, London is where most men book escorts.

An option for sex workers could be to house share together to afford the rent in the city centre. There are already girls doing this known as duo escorts. Be careful and ensure you understand all of the laws surrounding brothels and how many sex workers can live together.

Sex workers could also move to the outskirts of the city or slightly further afield. Kent and Essex are popular areas close to London, with cheaper accommodation and transport links into the city. The girls could save money travelling to London rather than living there but would rely on public transport. Of course, there will be gentlemen in Kent and Essex that want to meet escorts, so this may be a good option.

Support Your Local Sex Workers

If you want to support local London sex workers, call our agency today. If you have recently hired the services of a call girl, you could also write a review of your experience. This may seem like a small token but can make a big difference in this competitive industry.