The existence of the gender pay gap has been a long-debated issue between men and women. Some argue that there is no gender pay gap because salary always depends on the kind of work that men and women do, while others claim that women get lesser pay compared to men just because of their gender.
A recent study of Office for National Statistics show that there is indeed a pay gap. The good news is that the pay gap between men and women who belong to the younger generation is narrower compared with the gap between people who belong to earlier generations, Business Record reported.
It does not necessarily show that there is some improvement for women on the pay gap front. However, millennials may welcome the news because it could signal that businesses and industries are becoming more aware of the issue.
The study found a declining trend of the pay gap depending on generation. The analysis of data shows that those who are born between 1946 and 1965, known as baby boomers, had 16% in gender pay gap on average. Meanwhile, Generation X, or those whose birthdays fall between 1966 and 1980, had gender pay gap of 9%. Millennials get the smallest pay gap among generations at 5%.
The bad news, however, is that women in 30s and early 40s suffer wider pay gap compared to younger women. The cause may be that they usually start a family.
The pay gap may be related to confidence gap between men and women as men are more likely to assert their request for an increase compared to women, CNBC reported. Women who want to narrow the gender pay gap should learn to be assertive and ask for pay raise or promotions.
Jobs & Hire previously reported about how enthusiastic negotiation can give job applicants the offer they deserve.
