How coronavirus is widening the UK gender pay gap

Excellent long read in the Guardian about the impact of the pandemic on the gender pay gap.

Women are often in insecure occupations, and more likely to work part-time, both things that have been badly hit by the current pandemic. However, beyond this, any progress that was being made prior to the lockdown is likely to stall.

It is a fascinating piece, and an excellent overview of all of the main debates that surround this interesting bit of labour market economics.

To read more, here is an interview with the author Linda Scott

According to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics:

• The gender pay gap among full-time employees stands at 8.9%, little changed from 2018, and a decline of only 0.6 percentage points since 2012.
• The gender pay gap among all employees fell from 17.8% in 2018 to 17.3% in 2019, and continues to decline.
• For age groups under 40 years, the gender pay gap for full-time employees is now close to zero.