Page 20 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan 2019

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Gender Pay Gap
‘Gender pay gaps persist worldwide, despite women’s dramatic gains in education. Many factors drive the gender pay gap, including gender segregation in fields of study and jobs, women’s higher likelihood of interrupting their careers for caregiving, and – though harder to identify – discrimination and biases against women.’ 10
The gender pay gap is improving in Wales although it remains an issue. At a Wales level, the median hourly pay for all employees is £11.42, for males it is £12.19 and for females it is only £10.54. The gender pay gap as of 2018 at a local authority level was as follows;
Area Gender Pay Gap
United Kingdom Wales Pembrokeshire Neath Port Talbot Powys Ceredigion Swansea Carmarthenshire
Disability
17.9% 13.5% 18.8% 18.1% 13.5% 11.2% 6.8% 2.3%
According to a leading disability charity, Wales has the highest proportion of disabled people in its population, the largest number of disability related benefit claimants and the widest employment gap with non-disabled people of anywhere in the UK. In addition, a report recently published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that 39% of disabled people in Wales are currently living in poverty compared with 22% for non- disabled people. This would suggest that there is clear inequality within the labour market. Through the Employability Plan it is essential that there is increased inclusivity and accessibility for all disabled people living in Wales. This extends to ensuring that they are equipped with the right skills, the right transport and the right information to fully capitalise on opportunities and create a better and fairer economy.11 Such work would build on initiatives currently in existence, namely – ‘Disability Confident’12, ‘Access to Work’13 and the ‘Work and Health Programme’14.
11 http://www.disabilitywales.org/national-disgrace-high-price-disability-poverty-wales/ 12 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign
13 https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work
14 https://www.gov.uk/work-health-programme
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales
Policy Context