Closing gender pay gaps: Evidence from the UK

Ian Gregory-Smith; Brian GM Main

Closing gender pay gaps: Evidence from the UK

Ian Gregory-Smith^*, Brian GM Main

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

This paper examines the closing of the Gender Pay Gap in the UK between 2017 and 2023. We merge administrative firm-level panel data on the population of UK firms with more than 250 employees with accounting firm-level data from FAME and regional data from the National Office of Statistics. Uniquely, the data allow an examination of the changing gender composition at each quartile of pay within firms. Firms do not close the Gender Pay Gap just by paying the women in their companies more. Rather, firms that have successfully reduced their Gender Pay Gap have changed the gender composition within their organisation by filling higher paying roles with a greater proportion of women. The evidence suggests pay gender equality is not predominately being addressed by correcting discriminatory pay practices but rather by affording women equal opportunity of obtaining higher paying positions within firms

Original language	English
Title of host publication	RES 2025 Annual Conference
Number of pages	31
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 10 Jan 2025
Event	RES 2025 Annual Conference: Royal Economic Society Conference - University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom Duration: 29 Jun 2025 → 2 Jul 2025 https://res.org.uk/event-listing/res-2025-annual-conference/

Conference

Conference	RES 2025 Annual Conference
Abbreviated title	RES Conf
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Birmingham
Period	29/06/25 → 2/07/25
Internet address	https://res.org.uk/event-listing/res-2025-annual-conference/

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

gender wage gap
occupational discrimination

Cite this

@inproceedings{43d736ed564f43d5ba1442a56d079741,

title = "Closing gender pay gaps: Evidence from the UK",

abstract = "This paper examines the closing of the Gender Pay Gap in the UK between 2017 and 2023. We merge administrative firm-level panel data on the population of UK firms with more than 250 employees with accounting firm-level data from FAME and regional data from the National Office of Statistics. Uniquely, the data allow an examination of the changing gender composition at each quartile of pay within firms. Firms do not close the Gender Pay Gap just by paying the women in their companies more. Rather, firms that have successfully reduced their Gender Pay Gap have changed the gender composition within their organisation by filling higher paying roles with a greater proportion of women. The evidence suggests pay gender equality is not predominately being addressed by correcting discriminatory pay practices but rather by affording women equal opportunity of obtaining higher paying positions within firms",

keywords = "gender wage gap, occupational discrimination",

author = "Ian Gregory-Smith and Main, {Brian GM}",

year = "2025",

month = jan,

day = "10",

language = "English",

booktitle = "RES 2025 Annual Conference",

note = "RES 2025 Annual Conference : Royal Economic Society Conference, RES Conf ; Conference date: 29-06-2025 Through 02-07-2025",

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AU - Gregory-Smith, Ian

AU - Main, Brian GM

PY - 2025/1/10

Y1 - 2025/1/10

N2 - This paper examines the closing of the Gender Pay Gap in the UK between 2017 and 2023. We merge administrative firm-level panel data on the population of UK firms with more than 250 employees with accounting firm-level data from FAME and regional data from the National Office of Statistics. Uniquely, the data allow an examination of the changing gender composition at each quartile of pay within firms. Firms do not close the Gender Pay Gap just by paying the women in their companies more. Rather, firms that have successfully reduced their Gender Pay Gap have changed the gender composition within their organisation by filling higher paying roles with a greater proportion of women. The evidence suggests pay gender equality is not predominately being addressed by correcting discriminatory pay practices but rather by affording women equal opportunity of obtaining higher paying positions within firms

AB - This paper examines the closing of the Gender Pay Gap in the UK between 2017 and 2023. We merge administrative firm-level panel data on the population of UK firms with more than 250 employees with accounting firm-level data from FAME and regional data from the National Office of Statistics. Uniquely, the data allow an examination of the changing gender composition at each quartile of pay within firms. Firms do not close the Gender Pay Gap just by paying the women in their companies more. Rather, firms that have successfully reduced their Gender Pay Gap have changed the gender composition within their organisation by filling higher paying roles with a greater proportion of women. The evidence suggests pay gender equality is not predominately being addressed by correcting discriminatory pay practices but rather by affording women equal opportunity of obtaining higher paying positions within firms

KW - gender wage gap

KW - occupational discrimination

UR - https://res.org.uk/event-listing/res-2025-annual-conference/

M3 - Conference contribution

BT - RES 2025 Annual Conference

Y2 - 29 June 2025 through 2 July 2025

ER -

Closing gender pay gaps: Evidence from the UK

Abstract

Conference

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

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Cite this