Research from Ciphr finds that 25% of men and 19% of women don’t think there are any jobs in the United Kingdom with a pay gap in favour of men in 2024.
By Maggie Mancini
Research by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr shows that most people significantly underestimate how pervasive the gender pay gap is in most occupations and industries in the U.K. Ciphr commissioned a survey of 2,000 U.K. adults, including 1,188 employees, to find out how closely people’s perceptions of the gender pay gap—if any—matched reality.
The findings reveal that a quarter (25%) of men and a fifth (19%) of women don’t think there are any job roles in the U.K. with gender pay gaps in favour of men in 2024. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), however, tend to prove otherwise.
According to the ONS, across all occupations, the median gender pay gap is 13.1%. This means that women working in the U.K. earn £2.39 less per hour, on average, than their male peers. Based on Ciphr’s analysis of the data, nearly three-quarters (71%) of all jobs—even those predominately held by women—and the majority (89%) of industries in the U.K., have gender pay gaps of 1% or higher in favour of men.
Yet, just one in 10 employees believe their industry has a gender pay gap in favour of men. And even fewer (8%) believe that their occupation or employer have pay gaps in favour of men.
This may be true for many employers but not as a rule, especially not within larger organisations. The U.K. government’s 2024 gender pay gap reporting data reveals that 78% of organisations with over 250 employees pay their male employees more than their female employees, and 62% of these companies have a gender pay gap of 5% or more.
The results highlight that many employees have a skewed perception of the gender pay gap generally. Many also view their occupation’s, industry’s, or organisation’s gender pay gaps more positively than they perhaps should—which does nothing to help close the gaps that exist.
The workers most likely to be aware that their industry may have a gender pay gap problem include those employed in marketing, advertising, and PR. Nearly two-fifths (38%) of people working in this sector think there’s a gender pay gap. And there is, at 20.1%, with women earning just 80p for every £1 men earn.
“The findings of this survey highlight an urgent need for employers to take a more active role in promoting transparency and understanding around their gender pay gap,” says Claire Williams, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr. “The data shows a significant disconnect between perception and reality, with many employees unaware of the extent of gender pay disparities in the U.K. This lack of awareness reinforces the importance of clear communication and education within organisations.”
