Earnings inequality: Women earn 6% less – this is what it looks like in the region!

In a sensational analysis, the “Krone” revealed the current salaries of men in Austria. The results clearly show that you have to earn a monthly income in the five-figure range to belong to the absolute elite of earners. These outstanding salaries were determined by evaluating the Ministry of Finance's payroll tax statistics. Women, on the other hand, do not come close to reaching these income limits. Compared to their male colleagues, women not only receive less, but are also noticeably more likely to work in lower-paying jobs or part-time, which further increases the income gap. The focus is on the colossal gap that results in the gender pay gap; the unadjusted difference in hourly wages between the genders will be a shocking 18% in 2023, according to a comprehensive analysis by “bpb”.

The calculations show that women earn 18% less per hour compared to men, with a shocking 64% of this gap being explained by different industries and types of employment. This means that women are not only underrepresented in leadership positions and better paid jobs, but also work fewer hours. The so-called gender hours gap shows that women who work an average of 121 hours of paid work per month invest 18% less time than men who work an average of 148 hours. As a result, women receive a total of 32% lower monthly wages. These grievances create an alarming picture of the inequality of earnings in society, as the “bpb” describes.

Unexplained gap in the gender pay gap

Importantly, the adjusted gender pay gap, which looks at the portion of the pay gap that is attributable to discriminatory factors, reveals another aspect of inequality. Even with comparable qualifications, there is an inexplicable 6% difference. This suggests that discrimination is possible as long as all wage-relevant factors are not taken into account, such as unaccounted for career breaks or part-time jobs. In 2023, the Gender Employment Gap shows that only 73% of women are employed, compared to 81% of men. This imbalance widens the gap in society and highlights the structural barriers that women face in professional life. Not only are men's working hours longer, they have also increased significantly in recent years, further exacerbating the discrepancy between the genders.