Pay gap: Hong Kong women earn more than men before 20 but only half when they turn 60
A study by human resources consultancy Willis Towers Watson shows that the use of technology could help reverse that trend, allowing women to hold on to their jobs for longer
The gender pay gap in Hong Kong widens with age because fewer women go on take up senior positions as more women leave the job market earlier than their male counterparts to take care of family, according to a study conducted by human resources consultancy Willis Towers Watson.
Gender pay gap is a collective comparison. It is the difference between the average pay of all men in a company and the average pay of all women in a company, regardless of the type of work they do.
Data gathered from almost 500 companies and more than 250,000 employees in Hong Kong showed that women in their 30s earn 11 per cent less on average than their male counterparts – HK$329,000 (US$41,400) a year compared with HK$369,000 for men. The gap increases further in the 50s age bracket, with women earning about HK$482,000 a year, 25 per cent lower than men who make HK$645,000.
After 60, women on average earn HK$322,000, almost half the HK$618,000 made by men.
However, women under the age of 20 on average earn slightly more than men – HK$122,000 a year compared with HK$121,000 for men in the same age group.
The research also showed that the pay gap shrinks significantly at the same job level, with women earning only up to 5 per cent less than men.
