In 2018, the first year of compulsory gender pay gap reporting, women working in the public sector earned 86p for every £1 their male counterparts did. In 2021, that dropped to 84p.
The vast majority – 88.7% – of 1,545 public sector organisations reported a median pay gap in favour of men, with 693 paying men at least 20% more than women.
Of the 50 organisations with the widest gaps –private or public sector – 18 were multi-academy trusts, which run academy schools.
The Learning for Life Partnership, which operates five primary schools in Cheshire East, reported a median pay gap of 77.2%, with women earning on average 23p for every £1 their male colleagues did, while the Pele Trust in Northumberland had a median gap of 72.5%. In all, 80 academies had gaps of 50% or more.
