Staggering Wage Disparities between Men and Women across U.S. and Europe -16 October 2014

The Monster Wage Index Report Finds That Men Earn 29% More than their Female Colleagues in the U.S.

Weston, MA – October 16, 2014 – Monster (NYSE:MWW) in conjunction with the WageIndicator Foundation, today released data regarding wage disparities among men and women in the United States and Europe. This is the first in a series of releases examining wages across global and U.S. regions, industry sectors and other comparative factors.

While many in the United States and Europe believe that the gender gap in the workplace is closing, the Wage Index data shows a very different reality. Women continue to be better represented in the workforce, particularly in supervisory positions, yet those women are not receiving the same wages as their male colleagues. The data collected determined that on average, men’s wages are 22-29% higher than women’s. In taking a closer look, the data also shows that U.S. men in supervisory positions make up to 42% higher wages, on average, than their women counterparts.

“The survey indicates that females in the workplace are not being compensated in the same way as their male counterparts,” said Martin Kahanec, PhD., Scientific Director of CELSI, currently Visiting Research Fellow at Harvard University's Labor and Worklife Program. “While we have seen an increase in the number of women in supervisory positions, this often does not reflect the wages that those women are receiving. It is important that employers ensure that all employees are being justly compensated for equal work. Equal opportunities to both genders can work only if employers enable men and women to reconcile their careers with family lives equitably. In doing so, companies will see happier employees and an increased retention of top talent.”

Country-specific findings include:

United States

In the U.S., on average female workers earn 29% lower wages than males.
While there were “only” 4 percentage points fewer female respondents who claimed to work in supervisory positions, wages for male supervisors showed to be 42% higher than females.

United Kingdom

In the UK, female workers earn 22% lower wages on average.
While women workers in the UK can expect an average 22% wage increase if promoted to a supervisory position, male supervisors earn more than 40% higher wages than their non-supervisor counterparts.
Male supervisors in the UK earn 45% more than female supervisors.
UK male workers also receive more generous tenure-related wage increases: women can expect 38% higher wages after 10+ years in their profession, while men receive 60% higher wages after the same amount of time, when compared to labor market entrants.

Spain

In Spain, female workers earn 26% lower wages than males.
After spending ten years in their profession, Spanish men can expect a full 100% increase in wages, while Spanish women earn a 75% increase after the same amount of time.
Spanish male workers in supervisory positions also earn 35% more than their female counterparts.

Germany

In Germany, female workers earn 23% lower wages than males.
Raises for tenure and/or increased responsibility are distributed somewhat more evenly: German men in supervisory roles earn 16% more than their women counterparts, and there is almost no difference (0.4%) in the amount a male worker’s wages are increased after 10+ years in their profession over the increase a woman worker can expect.

Respondents to the survey were from different age groups, varied industries, and various hierarchical positions in their respective occupations. The data allowed analysts to determine the greatest gender gaps by industry. The highest gaps appeared in the Healthcare, Finance and Insurance, Legal, and Education and Research fields. These fields show women earning between 35% and 43% less than men, respectively.

Examining feedback from the US, UK, Spain and Germany, on average:

Healthcare: females earn 34% less
Finance & Insurance: females earn 35% less
Legal: females earn 40% less
Education & Research: females earn 33% less

“While there may not be an immediate solution to diminishing the gender gap, there are some ways women can approach this topic with their employers,” said Joanie Courtney, Senior Vice President, Market Development at Monster. “Women should keep track of their successes on the job and be prepared to make a case for higher wages when appropriate. Developing ways to demonstrate your value in the workplace is key when negotiating pay, and this holds true for men as well.”

Methodology

The analysis presented in this report is based on the WageIndicator dataset covering the period of Quarter 1 2012 up to Quarter 2 2014. The wage analysis is based on data collected from the website www.paywizard.org and Monster newsletter from the aforementioned period. The sample used for the analysis consists of:

4,270 respondents living and working in the United States, approximately 57.17% of which are men and the remaining 42.83% women.
11,720 respondents living and working in the United Kingdom, approximately 59.66 % of which are men and the remaining 40.34 % women.
22,731 respondents living and working in Germany, approximately 59.79% of which are men and the remaining 40.21% women.
9,441 respondents living and working in Spain, 66.7% of which are men and the remaining 33.3% women.

Respondents from different age groups, varied industries, and various hierarchical positions in their respective occupations are included in the sample.