Highland Gender Pay Gap is 10 per cent

12 March 2010

The gender pay between what men and women earn in the Highlands is 10 per cent , according to new figures released by Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant, in the week that has marked International Women's Day.
 
The figures, from the Office of National Statistics, show that in 2009, the median hourly rate of pay of full-time male employees in the Highland Council area was £11.53p.
 
For women the rate was £10.44p , which is 90 per cent of the male rate. 
 
Median weekly earnings, excluding overtime, were £472 for men and £402 for women.
 
The overall Scottish gender pay gap is 10 per cent.
 
Mrs. Grant said,

" The gender pay gap results mainly from the under-valuing of women’s work, spending less time in uninterrupted full-time employment than men because of childcare and caring responsibilities, and an ‘occupational segregation’ that sees women disproportionately in just a few sectors of employment in part-time, low-waged jobs.
 
"There have been positive developments in tackling the gender pay gap by attempting to open up more flexible employment opportunities to women, and providing better childcare and caring support.
 
" However, while it may be slowly reducing, the gender pay gap is a persistent reminder of the under-valuation of the work of women."