Pay gaps across equalities areas: an analysis of pay gaps and pay penalties by sex, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation and age using the Labour Force Survey

This report highlights new insights into pay gaps and pay penalties by gender and ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation and age, basedupon secondary analysis of pay data in the Labour Force Survey. What is already known on this topic: • The gender pay gap is substantial and slowly declined until 2007/08 when it slightly increased. Pay penalties persist for women. • There is only limited evidence on pay gaps and pay penalties by gender and ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and disability. What this report adds: • This is the first study to analyse average hourly pay gaps and pay penalties by gender and ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation and age. • Gender pay gaps and penalties tend to persist, regardless of group. Most groups of ethnic minority women and men (though not all) experience pay gaps and pay penalties, but the variation across groups stands out. • Disabled women and men experience substantial pay gaps and pay penalties. • Younger and older workers experience pay gaps, but do not tend to suffer pay penalties. • The findings on religion and sexual orientation are mixed. • The higher qualified you are, the less likely you are to suffer pay gaps and pay penalties, though this does not hold for every group.