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Gender Pay Gap Nears £100 a Week
17th November 2008
THE pay gap between men and women has widened in Wales at a faster rate than across the UK as a whole. Official figures released over the weekend reveal that men on average earn 12.7% more than women - up from 10.3% in 2007.
They show that men working full-time in Wales take home an average of £465 a week compared to £369 for women - a gulf of almost £100.
Proof that pay inequality between men and women is widening and not narrowing has caused immediate alarm.
Kate Bennett, Welsh director of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "This has a huge impact on family income.
"It comes at a time when many are feeling the pinch and every penny counts.
"Women cannot afford to be short-changed in this way."
The situation is even more serious for people in part-time employment. There, the gap has increased from 29.2% to 33.7%.
Katy Chamberlain, the chief executive of Chwarae Teg, the agency for the economic development of women in Wales, said: "There are complex reasons underlying the gender pay gap which relate to business and the economy but also to education and culture in Wales."
The agency has launched a new project, Agile Nation, which will work over the next five years with women, educators and employers.
Ms Chamberlain said: "The project will work to address some of the issues underlying the gender pay gap, such as inequality, gender stereotyping, flexible working and quality part-time jobs."
Wales has some of the lowest average hourly wages in the UK. Men earn on average £13.38, compared to £11.68 for women.
In London, men earn an average of £21.84 an hour, with women receiving £16.73.
Across the UK, the pay gap rose from 17% to 17.1%, according to the research by the Office for National Statistics.
People working in the private sector are most likely to suffer from pay inequality.
The average pay gap for this group is 21.7%, compared to 13.8% in the public sector.
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