Great Britain : gender pay gap rises for the first time in six years

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics – Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) released on 29 October 2019, the gender pay gap for full-time employees sat at 8.9% for fiscal year 2019, up slightly from 8.6% the year before. The ONS did clarify that the increase was not significant and recalled that the gender pay gap for all employees combined had declined from 17.8% in 2018 to 17.3% for 2019. Notwithstanding, several observers are voicing their concern as this is the first increase witnessed in six years, with Frances O’Grady, TUC general secretary stating, “At this rate, it will take decades to close the gender pay gap.” Even the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) called for “more action to ensure women of all ages receive fair and equal pay at every level.” A more detailed analysis reveals a strong rise in the gender pay gap among the high-paying managers, professionals and senior officials occupation group up from 13.9% to 15.9%. The gap is particularly acute for females age 50 and over, who are recorded as earning more than 15% less than their male counterparts. In contrast, the gap is almost zero for full time employees aged between 18 and 39.