Gender pay gap in UK – Women working for free until end of year

Britain’s gender pay gap will leave women effectively working for free from 9 November until the end of the year, according to equality campaigners.

This year, Equal Pay Day falls on this date, according to the Fawcett Society, which uses official statistics on hourly pay for full-time workers.

With the gender pay gap at 14.2%, it falls just five days later than last year, and only two days later than in 2013. The fact that it repeatedly falls in early November reflects how little progress has been made in closing the gap in salaries for men and women.

The figure of 14.2% reflects the pay gap for men and women working full time, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. The figures are for 2014 – the latest available data – and are measured by average gross hourly pay. This compares to 15.7% for the previous year.

Campaigners warn that, based on the tiny reduction in the pay gap last year, it would take 54 years to reach parity at current rates.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at  Gender pay gap: women effectively working for free until end of year | Business | The Guardian