Understanding the UK Gender Pay Gap: Facts, Figures, and the Impact of Parenthood

Send us a topic important to you.The gender pay gap (GPG) measures the difference in median hourly earnings between men and women, excluding overtime pay,. We examine the latest UK figures from April 2025, revealing that for all employees, women earned 12.8% less than men. Key themes include how the gap grows substantially after age 40, due largely to "child penalties" where mothers experience a significant drop in earnings and time spent in full-time work compared to fathers,,. We also discuss influential factors like industry (the gap is largest in the financial and insurance industry for full-time workers) and the mandatory reporting requirements for large employers,. The overall gap has been decreasing since 1997,.Key TakeawaysThe overall gender pay gap in the UK for all employees was 12.8% in April 2025.The gap is smaller for full-time workers (6.9% less for women) but favors women for part-time workers (-2.9%).Parenthood significantly contributes to the GPG: women's earnings fall sharply after the birth of the first child, known as "child penalties".The pay disparity is largest among the highest earners, and the gap widens considerably for full-time employees aged 40 and over,,.Since 2017/18, public and private sector employers with 250 or more employees have been required to publish their GPG data,.Source: The gender pay gapResearch BriefingPublished Monday, 17 November, 2025Follow and subscribe to 'The Bench Report' on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes daily: thebenchreport.co.ukSubscribe to our Substack Shape our next episode! Get in touch with an issue important to you - Producer Tom will grab another coffee and start the research!Email us: [email protected] us on YouTube,  X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok! @benchreportUKSupport us for bonus and extended episodes + more.No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.  Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0....