Gender Pay Gap 'Won't Close Until 2056' as Women Work '47 Days Extra for Free'
A new report has alleged the gender pay gap will not close for another 30 years, at the current rate of progress. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has said its analysis depicts women effectively work 47 days of the year for free, and only begins earning money from today, compared to the average man.
Current Pay Gap Statistics and Industry Variations
According to the organisation, the current gender pay gap stands at 12.8 per cent, which is the equivalent of £2,548 a year for the average female worker. This means at the current rate of progress, it could take until 2056 to shut the gender pay gap completely.
There is also major variations in the pay gap dependent upon the industry, with the one in education standing at 17 per cent, while in the finance and insurance sector it rises to 27.2 per cent, the TUC said.
Union Leader's Strong Criticism
Paul Nowak, the general secretary, told the Mirror: "Women have effectively been working for free for the first month and a half of the year compared to men. Imagine turning up to work every single day and not getting paid. That’s the reality of the gender pay gap. In 2026 that should be unthinkable. With the cost of living still biting hard, women simply can’t afford to keep losing out. They deserve their fair share."
He added: "The Employment Rights Act is an important step forward for pay parity for women. It will ban exploitative zero hours contracts, which disproportionately hit women and their pay packets. It will make employers publish action plans for tackling their gender gaps, but these plans must be tough, ambitious and built to deliver real change, otherwise they won’t work."
Government Definition and Recent ONS Figures
On the government website, the gender pay gap is defined as the difference between the average pay of men and women in an organisation. The most recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2025 figures depict the gender pay gap has been decreasing slowly over time.
When looking at the last decade, it has dropped more than a quarter amongst full-time employees, and in April 2025, it stood at 6.9 per cent, dropping from 7.1 per cent in April 2024.
Detailed Breakdown of Pay Disparities
Men in full time employment earned more than women in full time employment in all major job groups in April 2025. It was also found the pay gap is greater for staff aged 40 and over than those below this age.
The pay gap is bigger among high paid employees than lower paid individuals, and women's staff share in high paying jobs lowers with age. It was further discovered the gender pay gap for full time employees was higher in every English region than it was in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, in April 2025.
