Gender pay gap persists in the UK

Men continue to earn more than their female colleagues across the UK, official data has revealed.
The national average wage is £569 a week for men and £436 for women - a difference of almost £7,000 a year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The biggest gap is in London, where men take home £790 a week, compared with £597 for women, followed by the South East (with a pay gap of £150) and the East (with a pay gap of £148).
Men in Northern Ireland however earn just £85 a week more than women.

The Equal Opportunities Commission has long been calling for government action to tackle the persistent gender pay gap – currently at 18% for full-time employees, and 40% for part-timers.

More information from the Office for National Statistics