13% pay gap between sexes, report shows

THE GENDER pay gap has widened slightly, with men earning about 13 per cent more than women.

Figures published yesterday by the Central Statistics Office showed the unadjusted gender pay gap increased to 12.8 per cent in October 2009, from 12.l4 per cent a year earlier.

The measure looks at gross hourly earnings and does not take into account whether the employment was full or part-time, the sector of employment and the occupation.

It found that the average hourly earnings for male employees were €23.63, a rise of 2.5 per cent compared to a year earlier. Women earned an average of €20.61, up 2 per cent on the same period in 2008.

The lowest unadjusted pay gap was recorded in October 2007, when it stood at 10.7 per cent, but it has increased in subsequent years.

Men are also more significantly represented in higher earnings brackets. The survey found 22 per cent of men earned more than €30 per hour. For women, that figure was far less, at 16 per cent. In contrast, 12 per cent of women earned less than €10 per hour, while only 8 per cent of men were in this category.

The widest gap between male and female workers was recorded in the professional, scientific and technical sector, where female full-time employees earned an average of 29.8 per cent less than their male counterparts.

The narrowest pay gap was seen in the public administration and defence sector, where the gap was 8.2 per cent for full-time employees

Overall the unadjusted pay gap for full-time employees was wider in the private sector (17.3 per cent)compared to the public sector (9.9 per cent).

The highest hourly earnings were recorded in the education sector, at €34.55, while those in the financial, insurance and real estate activities earned an average of €28.68 per hour. Public administration and defence employees earned an average of €26.06.

In contrast, those working in the accommodation and food services trade earned the lowest, at €13.83, and 30 per cent earned less than €10 per hour.