The United Kingdom has one of Europe’s most significant gender pay gaps, worse than France, Poland and Italy, according to international data released from mid to long-term rental specialists, Spotahome.
Results from across 29 European countries placed the UK near the bottom of the rankings (26th) for gender pay equality, only just ahead of Austria, the Czech Republic and Estonia.
The UK scored just 2.85 out of 10 – but when comparing on a city level, it fares slightly better, with Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol and London taking places 21 to 26 out of 32 respectively.
Using country and city level data from Eurostat, the gender pay gap results are part of a wider equality report encompassing factors such as non-discrimination (for example within employment and education); equality attitudes within the family (such as adoption and marriage equality); hate crime and hate speech; legal gender recognition and bodily integrity; and asylum (positive measures policies).
The study comes at a time when the UK government is becoming more vocal on the gender pay gap issue, following the submission of pay data from over 10,000 large firms. This study, reported back in April, revealed that 78 per cent of UK businesses pay men more than women.1
As one of Spotahome’s most sought-after locations with over 5,000 rental properties on offer, London has the biggest gender pay gap in the UK, with the average woman working full time reported to earn 14.6 percent less per hour than the average full-time man.2
Commenting on the results, Melissa Lyras, Brand and Communications Manager at Spotahome, said:
“The UK is a fantastic place to visit and attracts thousands of tourists every year. However, these results do flag a real point of difference for those looking for a new country to work, compared with other European destinations.
“If women in particular are seeking employment in a new country, it bodes well to consider what industries fare better for pay equality, and where the skills shortages are, in order to bypass this broader national imbalance.”
With apartments for rent in over 30 cities and 18 countries across Europe, the mid-to-long-term rental specialist is committed to supporting people from all backgrounds, ensuring they can live safely in a location new to them. Spotahome offers advice on accommodation, travelling and day-to-day life, making your rented accommodation feel more like home.
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
