The pay gap between the sexes increases in the first 10 years of a woman’s career, research has shown.
Educational opportunities now give men and women an equal start, but the effect is often lost when women’s childcare responsibilities kick in, according to a study from Manchester University.
Sociologist Dr Leen Vandecasteele blames the disparity on years spent away from the labour market.
She followed two generations as they set out on their careers in 1991 and 2000.
Although the later group were better educated, started on a more equal wage and had children later than their predecessors, they suffered a similar earnings gap eight years into their working life.
Dr Vandecasteele, who is based at the University’s Cathie Marsh Centre, said: “The research confirms progress has already been made towards the equalization of the wages of men and women – at the very start of their career.
“But while the younger generation of British labour market entrants enjoy larger gender equality in educational opportunities and initial wages, this does not persist over their career.”
She added: “Policy makers should realise that a focus on education alone will not eliminate the gender wage gap.
“It is more important to work on the negative wage consequences of years spent away from the labour market and the gender segregation of occupations.”
Dr Vandecasteele says the problem is exacerbated because many women still work in traditional female occupations – including cleaning or nursing.
The research used survey data from more than 5,000 households to compare the early careers of the two generations.
She found that women starting work earned on average 18 per cent less than men in 1991, while this difference was down to 5pc for the 2000 group.
She said the data showed the gender wage gap has largely disappeared for women at the start of their careers.
But she found that by the eighth year of observation, the more recent group suffered a pay gap of 24pc, compared to a 27pc figure for the earlier one.
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Not many 'professional' women take 'years' off for child care, and certainly not enough to account for the huge disparity in number in senior management. One of the major building societies sends me their voting form once a year, and there isn't a single woman on the board! If you want to protest about this vote 'NO' to the reappointment of each male director, and vote 'NO' to approve their remuneration package. One day the message will get through to the 'gentlemans club' and things will change.
This might only be a little thing, but it's something women can do to help ourselves. It's time we did something because relying on the men to fix it for us simply isn't going to work,
Let me give you the clearest case of sex discrimination ever. Ever since old-age pensions were introduced, women have had a lower qualifying age. A person I know well - a man got know pension from the age of 60 to 65. His sister got her pension at the age of 60. We are talking about thousands of pound. When he asked the Equal Opportunities people about this they were not interested. Their reply was, in effect, that the laws apply to everyone else but the government can do what it likes and at some time in the future it will "address the issue. Every man in this country who is sixty or over has suffered blatant sex discrimination and the hypocritical politicians don't want to know.
Who cares? If youre better at a certain job so be it. Stats stats stats....
In the professional environment I reside in, I can say not one of the women have children, and they are successful women too.
There needs to be cultural changes before we will see the pay gap narrowed. Young women need to be encouraged to pursue a wide range of careers. Young men should be encouraged to do the same. I would argue that men face more of a stigma for pursuing a career that is traditionally female, than the reverse.
Men and women are simply not equal - they are different. Women get less for some jobs because they aren't as good as men. Women get more in other jobs because they are better suited at it. Stop bloody bleating and get on with it.
BTW. pop the kettle on would you luv, I've a few mates coming round this affy to watch the racing. Shut the door on the way out.
what a load of fallopian tubes
Gosh - what a surprise! Other things causing the gap - women work fewer hours than men, women retire at 60, women work in occupationans that are traditionally lower-paid, women work in industries that are traditionally underpaid - I could go on but who's listening?
Let's not whinge - if we want to earn the same as men we must be prepared to work the way that they do!
Where does "glass ceiling" come in to this story?