Top-paid men outstrip women by 4 to 1, shock figures reveal

There are almost four times more men than women in Britain’s highest-paid posts, according to “scandalous” figures that show the extent of the glass ceiling blocking women from top jobs.

Government data reveals the huge disparity in the number of men and women with a six-figure income, fuelling concerns over the gender pay gap in the City and other professions.

There were 681,000 men earning £100,000 or more in 2015-16, according to new HMRC data. It compares with only 179,000 women. The latest figures show that 17,000 men earned £1m in 2015-16, while only 2,000 women did so.

The findings provoked immediate concern from two former Tory cabinet ministers for women, Nicky Morgan and Justine Greening.

The data, released last week, also revealed a large gender gap in average earnings. Male taxpayers had a median annual income of £25,700; their female counterparts earned £20,300. The figures do not account for the fact that more women are in part-time and low-paid work, as those who do not earn enough to pay income tax are not included.

The data comes as the country’s biggest companies are forced to publish their payrolls by gender before April. Organisations with 250 or more workers must publish their figures, with many high-salary City firms among the worst performers. The gap in pay at Virgin Money is 32.5%, while asset management firm Octopus Capital has a 38.1% difference.

Source: theguardian