Gender pay gap for graduates soars to €125 per week
THE earnings gap between men and women continues to grow years after they have graduated, with men earning €125 per week more than women, a new report has revealed.
The report found that male and female graduates from 2010 earned similar amounts in the first five years after graduation.
However, after ten years, male graduates earned up to €1,040 per week, compared to €915 for female graduates, making a difference of €125.
The findings were published by the Central Statistics Office in its Higher Education Outcomes – Graduation Years 20102019 report. It analyses graduate outcomes in terms of employment, re-enrolment in education, the industry sectors in which graduates work, and earnings over time.
The most popular industry for new graduates in 2019 was professional and scientific activities. The class of 2019 had average earnings of €555 per week in the first year at work following their graduation.
Graduates from information and communication technologies in 2010 had the highest median earnings ten years after graduation, at €1,165 per week.
Graduates from Dublin City University and University College Dublin in 2010 had the highest median earnings ten years after graduating, earning €1,140 and €1,115 per week respectively.
Statistician Brian Stanley said: ‘Approximately 80% of 2019 graduates were in substantial employment in the first year after graduation with median earnings of €555 per week.
‘This compares with 83% of 2018 graduates with median earnings of €530 per week. More than one-quarter of 2019 graduates were in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) for a period in 2020.’
Other popular employment included wholesale and retail, health and education. Dr Alan Wall, CEO of the Higher Education Authority, welcomed the report, saying it provides ‘crucial new insights’ into the effect of pandemic restrictions on recent graduates. ‘In addition, a ten-year postgraduation longitudinal picture allows us to see further into activities of graduates as they establish their career paths,’ he said.