Swedish State Pays Women Less Than Men

28 Jun 2013

The female employees of the Swedish Government Offices earn 88 percent of what their male colleagues earn, lower than average across the public sector according to a new report from the Swedish Agency for Government Employers (Arbetsgivarverket).

"The statistical analysis shows that the average wage gap can almost entirely be explained by measurable factors. It is these factors which can be worked on in order to achieve more equal pay," the report concludes.

The report shows that the greatest gender difference is at the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Foreign Affairs - where women earn on average 83 percent of men's average salary.

Within the Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality and the Ministry of Education ministry, women earn 88 percent of men's wages.

There are a total of six people employed within the Government Offices who earn in excess of 100,000 kronor ($14,800), all six are men.

The wage gap across the public sector in general was 10.3 percent between women and men in September 2012, thus slightly less than in the Government Offices.

The difference has declined somewhat over time. In September 2011 the equivalent gap was 10.9 percent and in 2000 the difference was almost 18 percent.

The report concludes that there are two factors which account for almost half of the total wage gap between men and women.

"Two factors together account for almost half of the total wage gap between men and women: women compared with men are more often employed at a lower level and that more women than men work part-time."

Other factors such as level of education, work tasks, experience, region and the fact that men more often hold management positions than women, account for much of the rest.

There however remains a 1.2 percent wage gap between women and men which can't be explained by measurable statistical factors, the report concludes.

Source: http://www.thelocal.se/48714/20130627/