The gender pay gap in Hong Kong has widened since the past five years, according to a general household survey by the Census and Statistics Department. The difference is also wider for jobs ranked higher, compared to, for example, those at clerical level.
Women in managerial positions earned HK$9,800 (US$1,248) less each month than men of the same rank – nearly a fifth less – for the three months from April to June. That 19.6 per cent gap widened from 15.8 per cent last year and 6.98 per cent five years ago.
For professionals, the previous difference of 11.1 per cent in 2018 is now 15.6 per cent.
For clerical work, women had no pay gap compared to their men counterparts back in 2018, but that number is now at 4.7 per cent (or HK$800).
It is also found that the pay difference is higher as they grow older — 2.14 per cent for workers aged 15 to 24 while those aged 45 to 54 receives 28 per cent lower wages.
Overall however, the gender pay gap narrowed from 22.5 per cent in 2018 to 13 per cent this year. The data excludes foreign domestic workers, most of whom are women with a minimum wage of HK$4,630 a month.
