Women in Singapore earn 14.3% less than male counterparts in 2023
Last year (2023), women employees in Singapore were found to earn 14.3% lower than their male counterparts.
Source: CNBC
The gender pay gap, however, narrowed as the occupational profile of female employees improved more than that of males.
The findings were revealed in an updated infographic released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on 4 March.
Full-time females earned lower than men
In 2020, the ministry conducted a joint study with the National University of Singapore (NUS), to compare the difference between both gender’s pay for doing similar work. This year, the study has been updated with 2023’s adjusted gender pay gap figures.
According to MOM’s updated infographic, the study analyses full-time resident employees aged between 25 and 54.
In 2023, the unadjusted pay gap amounted to 14.3% — meaning that female workers earned this percentage lower than their male peers. The figure was an improvement from 16.3% in 2018.
After accounting for human capital and labour market, the adjusted gender pay gap in 2023 stood at 6%. In 2018, it was 6.7%.
The study added that its methodology is unable to account for some factors, such as job level, work experience and caregiving responsibilities.
“Women’s propensity to play the primary role in caregiving and take time off work for parenting leads to lags in work experience, career progression and hence earnings,” it said.
Differences in occupation was the main factor accounting for 6.1% points of the unadjusted pay gap.
Occupational profile of female employees improved more than that of men
Although females earned less, the improvement in their occupational profiles surpassed that of males.
In particular, 75% of women were professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) in 2023. This figure is 8.8% points higher than that in 2018.
On the other hand, there were 79.4% of male PMETs in the workforce last year — a 6.3% points increase from 2018.
Meanwhile, there was a decline in female clerical support, service and sales workers (CSSWs) by 6.6% points, compared to the 2.1% points for male CSSWs.
Source: MOM
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Featured image adapted from CNBC and Able Best Employment Agency.
