WOMEN are asking for nearly £4,000 a year less than men when registering with an online recruitment service.

A survey of 850,000 people registered with www.reed.co.uk showed the average man expected to earn £3,600 more than the average woman.

Jobseekers in the south east were the most ambitious, expecting an average salary of £26,482 compared to £18,645 in the north west.

Salary expectations also seem to depend on your name, with the average Steve demanding a salary of £26,482 compared to Adams who would be content with £17,411.

The most ambitious woman was Jane, who expected on average £20,346 - still below the national average for all men. Danielle, on the other hand, would work for £15,071 a year.

Martin Warnes, of reed.co.uk, said the difference in salary expectation between sexes was `worrying'.

He said: "It is something which needs to be addressed, as there is no reason why in 2008 this should be the case."