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Is there really a Gender Pay Gap?

I'm a girl and I don't believe the gender pay gap exists. I told one person, they called me out, went and told everyone else and now everyone thinks I'm an ignorant freak.

Seriously, does the pay gap exist or is it just some sort of myth. Educate me.
(edited 5 years ago)
I'm not completely educated on this but I think on average there is a gender pay gap. Not with somebody that does the exact same job, hours, influence, etc(this rarely happens anyway)


I think some of the factors that contribute to this include childbirth. Some would argue that it's unfair that women are the only people statistically to disadvantaged when both parents should take responsibility. Other would say this is the inevitable effect of using your autonomy to have a child.
Yes there is. There’s clear statistical evidence?..
Yes.

On average, women earn about 8% less than men.

Of course that looks at employment across the entire country and not at a job/industry specific level.
No, its like Narnia. Not real.


Very simple debunk. if a firm could really get away with paying women less than men, then why would any business hire a man? It’s all about the profit.
Original post by Andrew97
No, its like Narnia. Not real.


Very simple debunk. if a firm could really get away with paying women less than men, then why would any business hire a man? It’s all about the profit.

The gender pay gap, as an overall subject, isn't really about women being paid less than men for the same work. It's more so about the trend we see in business; that is, men earn more than woman on average.
Original post by SHallowvale
The gender pay gap, as an overall subject, isn't really about women being paid less than men for the same work. It's more so about the trend we see in business; that is, men earn more than woman on average.

That’s not a pay gap, but rather an earnings gap.
I'm so torn rn
Original post by Andrew97
That’s not a pay gap, but rather an earnings gap.

Pay = Earnings (for all intents and purposes)

I understand that it's confusing and that some people try to confuse a difference in average earnings with a difference in pay for the same work.
Original post by SHallowvale
Pay = Earnings (for all intents and purposes)

I understand that it's confusing and that some people try to confuse a difference in average earnings with a difference in pay for the same work.


They are not exactly the same, earnings tend to have a longer time period than pay (when people discuss them)

MOST IMPORTANTLY TO NOTE: women and men working the same job earn exactly the same amount and this is ensured by discrimination laws. If an individual choses to work as hard as their peers, nothing will prevent them from being equally as successful (in a country such as the UK I should add).

Agreed. However there have been some high profile cases recently where employers like Birmingham council were found to be paying women less. I also have no doubt that there are employers that discriminate against women or give men different job titles or even allow staff to negociate their own packages that favour men.
Original post by Andrew97
No, its like Narnia. Not real.


Very simple debunk. if a firm could really get away with paying women less than men, then why would any business hire a man? It’s all about the profit.


Not true. This is a simplistic, A-Level economics view of firms as some black box maximizing profits. If you ever go work in a company, you'll see there's a shitload of wasted money being spent.

They would hire a man because the man is better at selling them the story that he is good. They would hire a man because the people doing the hiring decisions want to. Or for any other reason. There is no 1-to-1 link with "maximizing profit".

While pay discrimination is illegal these days, there are ways around it. Men being given different titles. Men being put forward for promotion over women. It's been shown that jobs with an increasing share of women, decrease in average pay, while jobs that gain a share of men see increases in average pay -> society values jobs done by men more. And of course the biggest reason for pay difference is the motherhood penalty.

Of course you can pretend these things don't exist, that the motherhood penalty is a fair price / biological, but that makes one rather naive. Just because equality before the law exists, does not mean societal views reflect this in the majority of cases. In many (well paying) careers, women are disadvantaged.
Original post by Andrew97
That’s not a pay gap, but rather an earnings gap.


This has some merit, however the core principle, that a woman's work/labour is valued less by society remains true and hence speaking of a pay gap is appropriate (even if it is not "get paid less for the exact same job").
yes, but not in the way you think. On average men earn more than woman but that's because, and these are backed up by statistics, women often major in jobs that pay less which would then mean they earn less, so there is a gap in pay between males and females but that gap is just.
There is a pay gap but the pay gap myth ( it being down to sexism and not decisions freely made by men and women) is never ending, despite being disproved by any number of economists.

Women living in metropolitan areas, between the age of 18 and 32 that have never married and never had children earn on average 8% more than men in the same demographic.
Is this down to sexism?
When the law came in that companies had to show the gender pay gap for their employees there was predictions of all hell to pay.
Notice how quiet it has gone on this.
Not least of all be cause The Guardian, the BBC, unions, the Labour Party and many more employers that have banged on about it for years and led campaigns were shown to be just as "bad" as many others and often worse.
The GMB for example who have campaigned for a long time on this subject turned out to have a 36% gap.
Why?
Because it s not down to sexism but decisions freely made by men and women.
(edited 5 years ago)
What does Santa and the gender pay gap have in common?


Spoiler

Original post by ItsTomii
I'm a girl and I don't believe the gender pay gap exists. I told one person, they called me out, went and told everyone else and now everyone thinks I'm an ignorant freak.

Seriously, does the pay gap exist or is it just some sort of myth. Educate me.


lol
Yes, there is a such thing as colored people not getting as much money either

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