Gender pay gap ‘will not close until 2056’

The gender pay gap in the UK will not close until 2056 if progress continues at the current rate, according to the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

According to the trade union body’s analysis of official pay data, the gap between men and women’s average wages stands at 12.8%, or £2,548 per year.

This means that an average female employee effectively works for 47 days of the year “for free”, according to the TUC.

It found that pay disparities were highest in the finance and insurance industry, at 27.2%. In the leisure service sector it was 1.5%.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said that, while the Employment Rights Act is “an important step forward for pay parity”, legislation could go further to help close the gap.

He argued that the government should increase access to paid parental leave so “mums and dads can better share care”.

“Women have effectively been working for free for the first month and a half of the year compared to men,” said Nowak.

“Imagine turning up to work every single day and not getting paid. That’s the reality of the gender pay gap. In 2026, that should be unthinkable. With the cost of living still biting hard, women simply can’t afford to keep losing out. They deserve their fair share.”

In education, where women make up the majority of the workforce, the pay gap is still 17%, while in health and social care it is 12.8%.

As part of reforms introduced by the Employment Rights Act, organisations with more than 250 staff who already report their gender pay gap will also need to create action plans on how they intend to address them from April.

Last July, the government launched what it called a “landmark” review of parental leave and pay, including the statutory minimum that employers should offer.

This article is based on a piece written for Personnel Today