Gender pay gap shrinks to 9.4 per cent

Gender pay gap narrowed slightly in 2015 but concerns were raised that the disparity has slightly changed in the last five years.

Female full-time employees earn 9.4% less than their male counterparts, according to the Office for National Statistics’ 2015 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. In 2014, they used to earn 9.6%.

The percentage appears to be the lowest since 1997, but the pay gap stood in the region of 9.5% and 10% in the last five years.

The government has announced measures to tackle the issue, including a scheme to force large companies to publish data on what they pay men and women working in equivalent jobs.

According to The Evening Standard, campaigners have argued that more needs to be done to ensure even salaries between men and women, including efforts to promote women into senior positions.