Prague, March 7 (CTK) – The wages of Czech women in both the private and public sectors are rising more slowly than those of men after the economic crisis, according to data from the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry’s information system on average earnings in the past few years.
The median gross wage, which a half of the population achieve, is one-fifth lower for women than for men in the business sector, while in the state and public sectors the difference is about 12 percent in favour of men.
“Men’ gross monthly wages have been rising more quickly than women’s. The pay level of women has long been lower than that of men,” the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry said, commenting on the data from the first half of last year.
The development was the same in a few previous years.
In the first half of 2015, women’s median gross wage was 19,374 crowns, which means a 2.4 percent year-on-year rise, while men’s median wage rose by more than 3.3 percent to 24,576 crowns.
Men’s salaries were rising more in the public and state sectors as well. Women’s median gross wage rose by 3.8 percent to 24,405 crowns, and men’s by 4.9 percent to 27,844 crowns.
In the business sector, men’s median has been increasing more than women’s since 2013. In the previous years, women enjoyed a higher rise, but it was not very steep.
In the public sector, women’s salaries rose less than men’s in the past two years, but in the previous three years, it was vice versa. Despite that, men still earn some 12 percent more on average than women.
One of the reasons for the lower earnings of women is that they often work in professions with traditionally lower salaries, such as the education and health-care spheres. Besides, they often occupy lower positions than men.
Nevertheless, women sometimes get lower salaries than their male colleagues even for the same work.
Another reason is that women spend a lot of time looking after their children, elderly family members and household.
The analysis worked out by the Gender Studies NGO has proved that the gap between the incomes of women and men has been rising with higher education and posts.
In the case of secondary schools graduates, women earn about one-fifth less than men, while female university graduates earn 30 percent less on average than men. In managerial posts, the difference is about 27 percent.
Lower wages are also reflected in old-age pensions. Consequently, women receive lower pensions than men.
According to the data of the Czech Social Authority from the end of 2014, a man’s average old-age pension was 12,259 crowns a month, while a woman received 10,050 crowns, which is almost 20 percent less.
Labour and Social Affairs Minister Michaela Marksova (Social Democrats, CSSD) is to comment on the gender pay differences at a press conference to be held on March 8, International Women’s Day.
Shortly after she assumed her office two years ago, Marksova said she would like to have an audit of remuneration in her sector carried out and have its results available within a few months. However, she has not yet released them.
($1=24.661 crowns)
