Unlock Editor’s Digest Lock for Free
FT editor Roula Khalaf will select your favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Some of Whitehall’s biggest divisions reported wider gender pay gaps last year despite an overall narrowing in the amount that civil servant men are paid to female colleagues.
The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs recorded the province’s biggest rise from 9.1% in 2023 to 13.9% in 2024. The ministry employs around 10,500 people.
The Ministry of Education, which has 8,600 staff, showed the second-largest increase from 4.1% to 8.2%.
Both divisions have registered the largest difference in median wages for men and women since the government introduced mandatory reporting to large employers in 2017.
For civil servants, the median gender difference fell from 9.6% in 2023 to 8.5% in 2024, higher than the UK average of 7%.
Foreign, federal and development offices employing 9,435 people were 2.7%, the sharpest drop of 6% points.
Some content could not be loaded. Please check your internet connection or browser settings.
Ann Francke, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute, said closing wage gaps is an important part of driving productivity growth in the public sector.
“As some organizations are reducing their diversity and inclusive efforts, governments need to lead role models of employees and champion women,” she added.
Prime Minister Kiel has pledged to reform the “slow” UK state by forcing civil servants as part of driving by the labour government to increase public sector efficiency.
The persistent gender pay gap in Whitehall reflects low representation of women in senior roles and overrepresentation in junior positions. Official figures show that 62% of minimum wage civil servants and 48% of maximum wage salaries were women in March 2024.
“This data was under previous administration,” the Cabinet Office said. “We know there’s more to do and are totally committed to ensuring that all civil servants are treated fairly.”
The lack of representation of women in senior roles and the unequal distribution of caring responsibility have led to slow progress towards gender salaries throughout the UK economy, with previous FT analysis showing that it will take decades to reach wage equality at current rates.
The government outlines plans to increase scrutiny by letting businesses publicly implement action plans for gender pay gaps to boost economic growth by improving employment outcomes for women.
Francke said that with the strengthened reporting requirements, it ensures that wage gap reports are “more than annual tickbox exercises.”
“We need to see a compulsory commitment to training and development managers to help get this right,” she added. “The increase in female expression, especially at the advanced level, cannot have, but it is an important part of providing a modern, growth-focused economy.”
Additional Reports by Clara Murray
