New TUC analysis reveals Women’s Pay Day for 2025 – the day when the average woman stops working for free compared to the average man – was yesterday (Sunday, 16 February 2025)
New TUC analysis published today (Monday) reveals that the average woman effectively works for free for nearly seven weeks compared to the average man.
This is because the gender pay gap for all employees currently stands at 13.1%.
This pay gap means that this year Women’s Pay Day – the day women stop working for free compared to the average man – was yesterday (Sunday 16 February 2025).
The union body says this is partly because women tend to be employed in lower-paid roles than men.
Additionally, women are more likely to work part-time to accommodate for extended caring responsibilities throughout their lives, therefore taking a significant pay cut.
The gender pay gap has remained stubbornly high over the years.
Industrial Gender Pay Gaps
Gender pay gap reporting was introduced back in 2017. However, the TUC analysis shows that – some eight years later – there are still significant gender pay gaps in many industries.
This gap persists even in jobs dominated by female workers, such as care:
Gender Pay Gap by Age
The TUC analysis shows that the gender pay gap affects women throughout their careers, from their first step on the ladder until they take retirement.
The gender pay gap is widest for middle-aged and older women:
The TUC says the gender pay gap widens as women get older, due to women being more likely to take on unpaid caring responsibilities.
Older women take a bigger financial hit for balancing work alongside unpaid caring responsibilities throughout their lives – often looking after children, older relatives, and/or grandchildren.
Regional Gender Pay Gaps
The analysis shows that in some parts of the country, gender pay gaps are even bigger, so their Women’s Pay Day is later in the year.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:
“Everyone should be paid fairly for the job that they do.
“But working women are still waiting for pay parity.
“The Employment Rights Bill can help to close the gender pay gap by banning exploitative practices like zero-hours contracts that hit women the hardest.
“And introducing fair pay agreements will boost pay and conditions in social care which has a female-dominated workforce.
“Government policy to make employers publish action plans for tackling their gender pay gaps can also make a real difference.
“Women contribute so much to our economy. They don’t deserve to be treated like second-class workers.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The gender pay gap: The overall gender pay gap is calculated using all median hourly pay, excluding overtime, for all male and female employees using the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data. The gender pay gap percentage (13.1% in the latest ASHE data) is then translated into days.
The latest ASHE data is available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/genderpaygapintheuk/2024/relateddata
- Women’s pay day by industry, source ONS ASHE, 2025:
Description | Median gap | Day equivalent | Start of year | Gender gap pay day |
All employees | 13.1 | 48 | 01/01/2025 | 16/02/2025 |
16-17 | 1.4 | 5 | 01/01/2025 | 05/01/2025 |
18-21 | -0.4 | -1 | 01/01/2025 | 29/12/2024 |
22-29 | 3.4 | 12 | 01/01/2025 | 12/01/2025 |
30-39 | 9.7 | 35 | 01/01/2025 | 04/02/2025 |
40-49 | 16.5 | 60 | 01/01/2025 | 01/03/2025 |
50-59 | 18.9 | 69 | 01/01/2025 | 09/03/2025 |
60+ | 17.5 | 64 | 01/01/2025 | 04/03/2025 |
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All employees | 13.1 | 48 | 01/01/2025 | 16/02/2025 |
Managers, directors and senior officials | 10.5 | 38 | 01/01/2025 | 07/02/2025 |
Professional occupations | 9 | 33 | 01/01/2025 | 01/02/2025 |
Associate professional and technical occupations | 13.7 | 50 | 01/01/2025 | 19/02/2025 |
Administrative and secretarial occupations | 6.2 | 23 | 01/01/2025 | 22/01/2025 |
Skilled trades occupations | 17.5 | 64 | 01/01/2025 | 04/03/2025 |
Caring, leisure and other service occupations | 0.9 | 3.3 | 01/01/2025 | 03/01/2025 |
Sales and customer service occupations | 3.6 | 13.1 | 01/01/2025 | 13/01/2025 |
Process, plant and machine operatives | 12.7 | 46 | 01/01/2025 | 15/02/2025 |
Elementary occupations | 4.5 | 16 | 01/01/2025 | 16/01/2025 |
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Public sector | 13.5 | 49 | 01/01/2025 | 18/02/2025 |
Private sector | 18.3 | 67 | 01/01/2025 | 07/03/2025 |
Non-profit body or mutual association | 16.1 | 59 | 01/01/2025 | 27/02/2025 |
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Agriculture | 5 | 18 | 01/01/2025 | 18/01/2025 |
Mining and quarrying | 0.1 | 0 | 01/01/2025 | 01/01/2025 |
Manufacturing | 14.9 | 54 | 01/01/2025 | 23/02/2025 |
Electricity and gas | 14.5 | 53 | 01/01/2025 | 21/02/2025 |
Water | -3.1 | -11 | 01/01/2025 | 19/12/2024 |
Construction | 15.5 | 57 | 01/01/2025 | 25/02/2025 |
Wholesale and retail | 12.7 | 46 | 01/01/2025 | 15/02/2025 |
Transportation and storage | 4.7 | 17 | 01/01/2025 | 17/01/2025 |
Accommodation and food | 2.1 | 7.7 | 01/01/2025 | 07/01/2025 |
Info and communication | 16.7 | 61 | 01/01/2025 | 01/03/2025 |
Finance and insurance | 29.8 | 109 | 01/01/2025 | 18/04/2025 |
Real estate | 7.4 | 27 | 01/01/2025 | 27/01/2025 |
Professional, scientific and technical | 20.1 | 73 | 01/01/2025 | 14/03/2025 |
Admin and support services | 6.2 | 23 | 01/01/2025 | 22/01/2025 |
Public admin | 8.8 | 32 | 01/01/2025 | 01/02/2025 |
Education | 17.2 | 63 | 01/01/2025 | 03/03/2025 |
Health and social | 11.2 | 41 | 01/01/2025 | 09/02/2025 |
Arts and entertainment | 6.4 | 23 | 01/01/2025 | 23/01/2025 |
Other services | 13.3 | 49 | 01/01/2025 | 17/02/2025 |
Households as employers | -3.8 | -14 | 01/01/2025 | 17/12/2024 |
Extraterritorial organisations | x | x | 01/01/2025 | x |
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United Kingdom | 13.1 | 47.8 | 01/01/2025 | 16/02/2025 |
England | 14.1 | 51 | 01/01/2025 | 20/02/2025 |
North East | 11.1 | 41 | 01/01/2025 | 09/02/2025 |
North West | 12.7 | 46 | 01/01/2025 | 15/02/2025 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 13.1 | 48 | 01/01/2025 | 16/02/2025 |
East Midlands | 14.2 | 51.8 | 01/01/2025 | 20/02/2025 |
West Midlands | 12 | 44 | 01/01/2025 | 12/02/2025 |
East | 13 | 47 | 01/01/2025 | 16/02/2025 |
London | 14.9 | 54 | 01/01/2025 | 23/02/2025 |
South East | 17.8 | 65 | 01/01/2025 | 05/03/2025 |
South West | 13.7 | 50.0 | 01/01/2025 | 19/02/2025 |
Wales | 8.9 | 32 | 01/01/2025 | 01/02/2025 |
Scotland | 9.2 | 34 | 01/01/2025 | 02/02/2025 |
Northern Ireland | 7.3 | 27 | 01/01/2025 | 26/01/2025 |
- About the TUC: The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together the 5.5 million working people who make up our 48 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.
Contacts:
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media@tuc.org.uk
020 7467 1248
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