Gender pay gap sees women in Mid Sussex work more than one month for free
Women living in Mid Sussex will effectively work more than one month for free this year due to the gender pay gap, figures suggest.
Women's rights charity the Fawcett Society said progress in reducing the gender pay gap is too slow, and called on the Government to introduce measures to help women into higher-paying work, especially during the cost-of-living crisis.
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Hide AdOffice for National Statistics estimates show full-time female workers in Mid Sussex earned an average of £21.33 per hour excluding overtime as of April, while their male peers earned £23.38 – a gap of 8.8%.
It means that by the end of the year, women will have effectively worked without pay since November 29.
Across the UK, the full-time female workforce is paid an average hourly rate of £18.09 – 11.3% less than the £20.04 hourly wage earned by men.
Hourly figures are used to remove the effect of overtime.
Equal Pay Day will be marked on November 20 – after which women across the country effectively stop earning relative to men – by the Fawcett Society, who said the rising cost of living means raising awareness of the pay gap is vital for women across the country.