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Influences on the Labour Market: Equal Pay - Activity

Sybil Morrison, founder of the Peace Pledge Union (PPU) speaking on equal pay, 1947.

Image: Concern about equal pay is not new. Sybil Morrison, founder of the Peace Pledge Union (PPU) speaking on equal pay, 1947. Title: Sybil Speaking. Copyright: Getty Images, available from Education Image Gallery

It appears that despite legislation and ceaseless campaigning women's earnings still do not match up to those of their male counterparts. There is, however, evidence that there is some movement in the problem although it does depend on which part of the country you live in.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published in October 2003 showed that the gap between men and women's hourly pay narrowed to 82% of men's compared to 81% in 2002. In 1976 the difference was around 74%!

Ratio of women's to men's pay: April 1986 to April 2003

Graph: Ratio of women's to men's pay: April 1986 to April 2003. Source: Office for National Statistics (Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.)

However, there were large geographical differences in these figures. In London, the gap is still 74% whilst in Wales the figure is 87.6%. In some areas, the East and South West, the ONS reported a widening of the gap.

Part of the explanation for the differences in earnings is accounted for by the fact that women work fewer hours on average than men. However, the much vaunted 'glass ceiling', whilst it might be creaking and close to cracking, is still, according to many people, very much in place.

Tasks

  1. Identify the main causes of differences in pay between males and females.
  2. What explanations could you offer for the differences in the gap between the ratio of male to female earnings in different parts of the country?
  3. Critically examine the factors which might explain the existence of a so called 'glass ceiling'.
  4. Evaluate strategies that the UK government and the EU might put in place to bring about a narrowing of the pay differentials between males and females.

There are a number of links below relating to the issue of equal pay and the 'glass ceiling'. Use them to help answer the questions.