05 Jan 2017
The gender pay gap for women in their 20s has halved to 5%, research published by the Resolution Foundation has suggested.
The Foundation's analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) data revealed that the pay gap for women in their 20s previously fell from an average of 16% for 'baby boomers' born between 1946 and 1965, to 9% for those born between 1966 and 1980.
It has subsequently fallen to its current 5% level for those born between 1981 and 2000.
Despite this, the Resolution Foundation warned that the gap will widen with age, and continues to rise for women in their 30s and 40s.
Commenting on the research, Laura Gardiner, Senior Research and Policy Analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: 'Young women today face relatively little disadvantage in terms of their pay packets compared to what their parents' and grandparents' generation faced.
'But while many millennial women haven’t experienced much of a pay gap yet, most probably will once they reach their 30s, when they start having children.'
Meanwhile, a government spokesperson stated: 'The gender pay gap is at a record low but we have to push further to eliminate it completely.
'Shining a light on organisations' pay gaps means employers can take action to tackle the causes and drive change. That's why we are introducing requirements for all large employers to publish their gender pay and bonus gaps data from April this year.'