Scottish women earn £70k less than men over lifetime

Women in Scotland will earn more than £70,000 less over their lifetime than men because of the gender pay gap, according to new analysis.

Across every age group, women earn less than men on average. Over the course of a woman’s working life, this amounts to £73,620 less on average.

The cumulative impact of the gender pay gap was calculated based on figures from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The data has prompted Labour to reiterate its call for a “civil enforcement system” to ensure compliance with gender pay auditing.

The party believes more businesses should publish pay ratios, that all policy and legislation should have a “gender audit” for its impact on women before implementation, and the minimum wage should be increased to £10 per hour.

Scottish Labour’s economy spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “Closing the gender pay gap isn’t just a question of fairness – it is essential for our economy.”