Signs Gender Wage Gap Is Growing

The Union of Public Servants (SFR) has released a salary poll that shows the gender wage gap within their ranks is growing.

Vísir reports that the unadjusted wage difference between men and women doing the same work within SFR is 21%. Men in SFR make, on average, 469,885 ISK per month, while women doing the same work make 369,446 ISK. This was detemined by a Capacent Gallup poll conducted for SFR.

When these figures are adjusted for other factors that have an effect on salaries, the gender wage gap not only still remains, at 10%, it is also increasing. Last year, the gap was 7%, but was at 10% the year before.

Árni Stefán Jónsson, the director of SFR, dismissed the traditional explanations for the gender wage gap, saying that he cannot accept the notion that men are just more stubborn about pay rises than women.

“I can confirm that the government, which is our largest employer, is not taking part in real measures to deal with this,” he said.

There is also a gender wage gap amongst employees of the City of Reykjavík, but is on the decline. Whereas in recent years it has been at 16%, today it is at 11%, or 6% when adjusted.