Women in full-time employment earn an average of almost £5,000 a year less than men, according to research by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
Its research, which used the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Annual survey of hours and earnings 2012 to calculate mean hourly pay, found that women earn less than men in 32 of the ONS’ 35 classified major occupations.
The research, which was published to coincide with Equal Pay Day on 7 November, also found:
- Female health professionals have the biggest pay gap, at around £16,000 a year. Top male professionals in health earn nearly £50 an hour, while top-earning women in health earn £24.67.
- Women who work in culture, media and sport have the second biggest pay gap, at £10,000 a year.
- Women who work in manufacturing earn nearly 24% less than men.
- The three major occupations where women earn more than men are transport drivers, electricians and agricultural workers, all of which are male dominated.
- The gender pay gap across the private sector is 20%, far higher than the public sector gender pay gap at 14%.
The TUC published its Gender jobs split research earlier in November, which found young women working in low-paid jobs has trebled over the past 20 years.
Frances O’Grady (pictured), general secretary at the TUC, said: “It is a huge injustice that women are still earning on average almost £5,000 a year less than men.
“Four decades on from the Equal Pay Act, it’s clear we need to take a tougher approach so that future generations of women don’t suffer the same penalties.
”One simple way would be to force organisations to be more transparent about how they pay staff.”