The income difference between working men and women has narrowed considerably in 40 years. More women have started working, they also started working more hours, and they are increasingly more highly educated. The average annual income of working women has increased by more than 60 percent since 1977, and that of working men by 12 percent.
Women earn an average of almost 34,000 euros gross, in 1977 that was almost 21,000 euros. Men’s income is now an average of 52,000 euros, compared to 46,000 in 1977. This is apparent from a survey by Statistics Netherlands into the incomes of working men and women in the period 1977-2020. Incomes are expressed in 2020 prices.
100 working women for 113 working men
The differences in earnings are largely attributable to cyclical fluctuations, the employment rate, working more or less part-time, and differences in age, education and job types.
The gross income of working men appears to fluctuate more with the economy because men work more than women in cyclical sectors such as construction and ICT. There, income falls in crisis years and income rises more sharply in times of prosperity.
Since 1977, the number of women with an income from work has increased by 1.8 million to 4.6 million in 2020. For men, it rose from 3.9 million to 5.2 million in the same period. In 2020, for every 100 working women there were 113 working men, 40 years ago the ratio was 100:223.
Age and children
In 2020, the income of working women was on average more than 35 percent lower than the income of male colleagues, as a result of working part-time. Three quarters of women work part-time, only a quarter of men, and the working week itself also has fewer hours for women.
Age and family composition also play a role in earnings. The income difference is greatest among cohabiting men and women with children, the working hours differ enormously when the children are still small. The income difference between men and women is usually smallest among single people, as is the case with younger men and women living together without children.
The differences are usually greater among cohabiting people over the age of 45. Women of that age work fewer hours on average than the younger generations. Single mothers older than 45 work more hours, often out of necessity.
Hourly wage
Regardless of the shorter or longer working week, the average hourly wage of women is still lower than that of men, the difference is about 14 percent. This is partly due to age and the type of part-time work. In 2008 the difference in hourly wages between men and women was still 20 percent.
–
