ONS data reveals gender pay gap has fallen to its ‘lowest level yet’

05 Nov 2018

Data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the gender pay gap has fallen to its ‘lowest level yet’.

The statistics showed that, in the year to April 2018, the gender pay gap for full-time employees fell to 8.6%, from its previous figure of 9.1%.

However, experts have warned that the gap is ‘closing too slowly’.

Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, said: ‘This slow rate of progress means without significant action, women starting work today and in decades to come will spend their entire working lives earning less than men.’

Meanwhile, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) stated that, at the current rate of progress, it will take around 55 years to achieve pay parity between men and women.

The TUC has urged the government to ‘crank up the pressure’ on UK employers, and called for companies to be required by law to ‘explain how they’ll close’ their pay gaps.