Pay analysts, Income Data Services (IDS), have revealed that the gender pay gap is not narrowing as quickly as was previously thought.



The figure initially reported for 2003 was 18 per cent but the IDS research shows that the divide between the average hourly earnings of full time male and female workers was 19.5 per cent. Assistant editor at IDS, Sally Brett, comments:



“These new estimates, which provide a more accurate picture of the position of men and women in the labour market, show that the gap between men’s and women’s pay is wider than previously thought. They highlight the persistent inequalities both in pay levels and access to higher paid managerial and professional jobs. They remind us that much still needs to be done to ensure women are still paid fairly and treated equitably in the workplace.”



The figures have prompted critics to re-double their efforts to ensure companies hold mandatory pay audits to make sure female workers were not earning less than male colleagues. The Equal Pay Act (1970) enshrines in law, everyone’s right to the same contractual pay and benefits as a person of the opposite sex in the same employment.



In spite of the latest furore, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) insist that the gender pay gap is at its lowest since statistical analysis began in the 1970s. The DTI also point to the government’s role in the development of the Women and Works Commission, which exists solely to tackle the issue of the gender pay gap.



Many however, including the Equal Opportunities Commission chairwoman Julie Mellor, remain unconvinced:



“Young women may be doing better than ever while at school but are set for a major disappointment in their pay packets when they start work. These figures tell us that the gap in average pay between men and women is even more woeful than we’ve previously thought. Unfairly rewarding or under-using women’s skills, not only holds down women’s pay but also leads to skills shortages which damage Britain’s productivity.”