The gender pay gap remains at 19.2 percent, according to new figures released today by the Office for National Statistics, unchanged since last year and still the lowest since records began.
The figures, which show the differences between men and women’s average earnings underline the focus that many have put on the important task of eliminating the gender pay gap over the last few years.
The figures show that overall UK pay gap for full and part time employees remains at 19.2 per cent while hourly earnings increased for both men and women by 1.4 percent between 2014 and 2015.
The gender pay gap remains virtually eliminated for women under 40 and has decreased for all women over 40 in full-time employment. In England, the gender pay gap is the highest in the South East at 22 per cent and lowest in London at 16.3 per cent.
“These figures confirm the need for us to drive forward change,” commented the Minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan. “That’s why we are working with business to ensure all large employers publish gender pay gap information, including bonuses.”
The government also plans to tackle the underlying causes of the gender pay gap. The government is planing to force larger employers to publish information about their bonuses for men and women as part of their gender pay gap reporting, it also intends to extend the aforementioned plans for gender pay gap reporting beyond private and voluntary sector employers to include the public sector
It is also intended that businesses will have 33 percent of women on boards by 2020, while eliminating all-male boards in the FTSE 350.
