Women in 50s paid £85k less than men over ten years- TUC

The TUC said the wage gap means women workers receive £85,000 less over the course of a decade, revealing the “pay penalty” they face.

The difference starts as soon as women start work, with an 18-year-old woman in a full time job earning an average of £1,395 a year less than her male peers, the research showed.

By the age of 30, the gap widens to over £3,000 and leaps to £7,200 for women in their 40s.

The TUC said the difference showed the impact of parenthood on women’s and men’s earnings.

“Women suffer a huge pay penalty over the course of their careers, which peaks in their 50s,” said general secretary Frances O’Grady.

“At current rates of progress it will take decades for women to achieve pay parity with men.

“Having children has starkly different effects on men’s and women’s pay, with women earning less after having kids, and men earning more.

“Far more needs to be done to help mums get back into decent, well-paid jobs after they have kids, and to encourage dads to take on their share of caring responsibilities.”

The organisatoin said progress on closing the full-time gender pay gap has slowed over the last few years, calculating that at its current rate it will take nearly half a century to achieve pay parity between women and men.

It added that more should be done to tackle excessive working hours and support women when they become mothers.