UK gender pay gap narrows to 6.8% for full-time workers

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 11:02 · Archive

The UK gender pay gap for full-time employees fell to 6.8% in April, down from 7.2% a year earlier.

The Office for National Statistics reported that the UK's gender pay gap for full-time employees stood at 6.8% in April 2026, continuing a downward trend. This represents a decline from 7.2% a year earlier and 9.4% a decade earlier. Median hourly earnings for full-time employees were £21.51 for men and £20.05 for women.

When including part-time workers, the gap widens considerably. Median earnings for all workers were £20.17 for men and £17.69 for women, reflecting the larger proportion of women in part-time employment. The gender pay gap is not a measure of pay differences between men and women doing the same jobs, but rather differences in average pay across the workforce.

While men continued to earn more than women across all major occupation groups, disparities varied significantly. Skilled trades showed the largest gap at 12.7%, whilst sales and customer service roles had the narrowest at 1.7%. Younger workers aged 30 to 39 had a smaller gap of 4.1%.

How it is being reported

• UK gender pay gap declines as more workers in low-paid jobsThe Office for National Statistics found the gender pay gap for full-time employees was 6.8% in April.Evening Standard · 22 Oct, 10:46
• UK gender pay gap declines as more workers in low-paid jobsThe Office for National Statistics found the gender pay gap for full-time employees was 6.8% in April.Independent Business · 22 Oct, 10:46

In this story: Office for National Statistics · United Kingdom

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem