TWO GRAND GENDER PAY GAP STARTS STRAIGHT AFTER UNI

The average graduate salary for male graduates is £2,000 more than for female graduates in their first job after university – indicating that the so-called ‘gender pay gap’ between the sexes can be seen right at the very beginning of people’s careers.

In new research by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, male graduates reported earning an average graduate salary of £22,500. In contrast, female graduates said they were making just £20,500.

And men were disproportionately represented among high earning graduates. Three in ten men (30%) said they were earning £25,000 or above, but less than two in ten women (19%) said the same.

The reasons for this pay gap are unclear – and we’d love to hear your theories about why this graduate pay gap is happening. Possible contributing factors include may:

– Men being more likely to be attracted to high-paying jobs in finance
– Men being more likely to study science at university, accessing high-paid jobs in technology
– Women being less likely to negotiate on salary, accepting their employer’s first offer
– Women being more likely to under-value their contribution
– Women being more likely to work in low-paid professions
– Women being more likely to work as unpaid interns
– Women being more likely to be drawn to industries where unpaid internships and low wage are the norm (fashion, PR, charity, etc)

There was some good news though. The survey found that 68% of 2014 first degree leavers who were in work in the UK were in graduate level jobs six months after laving, compared to 66% of the previous year’s cohort. And the new average graduate salary of £21,500 is up from £21,000 the previous year.

*WHY ARE FEMALE GRADUATES EARNING TWO GRAND LESS?
What’s your theory behind the graduate pay gap between men and women? Why do you think female graduates are struggling to match their male peers on salary? Have you seen evidence of a gender pay gap between the guys and girls in your circle of friends? Share your views below!