Gender pay gap has widened

Published: Sunday, August 21, 2011

The pay gap between men and women in Ireland has widened, official figures have revealed.

The difference in average wage levels had been decreasing for years but the trend has reversed since 2007.

The latest report by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows women are now getting paid almost 13 per cent less then their male counterparts.

The gender gap had dropped to a record low of 10.7 per cent in October 2007. But since then it has continued to widen, with slight increases over the following two years.

CSO officials said the latest figures from its National Employment Survey - for October 2009 - put the average pay difference between men and women at 12.8 per cent.

The report found that average earnings in October 2009 were €22.05 an hour, up 2 per cent on the previous year.

It shows that men's average hourly pay was €23.63 compared to €20.61 for women.

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