On average, the wage gap between men and women has diminished over the past twenty years in Canada, although there are still disparities, according to Statistics Canada.
In 1998, women earned an average of $22.34 per hour, compared to $27.51 for men, a gap of 18.8%. In 2018, the gap shrank by 5.5 points, to $26.92 per hour for women and $31.05 for men, amounting to 13.3%, according to a Statistics Canada report.
Among the explanations are the higher level of education for women, since 41.2% of them now have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 32.3% for men; the higher unionization of women (35.4% compared to 29.5% for men); and the higher proportion of women in the public sector (34.1% compared to 18.7% for men).
Reasons for persistent discrepancies
Although women still earn less than men, it is partly because men occupy a greater place in higher-paying sectors, such as construction, manufacturing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction, or the professions specializing in natural and applied sciences. In addition, only 4.8% of men work part time, compared to 16% of women. Work experience and gender bias are also among factors that influence wages.
To be read: Employees want to earn more