Average wage gap in Europe 12.7%: How does Belgium score? “Our country currently has more highly educated women than men.” | MyGuide

Just over a decade ago, the wage gap between men and women in Belgium was still particularly large. “In 2010, women still earned an average of 10.2% less than men,” says Frank Vander Sype, director of HR Trends and Insights at Securex. “But let’s immediately announce great news: the wage gap in Belgium is now very small.”

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“In some European countries, men earn on average much more than women, if we look at the figures for 2021: 16.6% in Slovakia, 17.3% in Hungary, 17.6% in Germany, 18.8% in Austria, even 20.5% in Estonia. On average, the wage gap in Europe was still 12.7% in 2021.

“But Belgium is doing very well. With us, men earn on average barely 5% more than women in 2021. Thus, the wage gap has been halved, ”says our expert.

We use these numbers to compare the average gross wages of all men and all women, regardless of their work. What is the difference in wages between men and women in the same job? Well, then the gap narrows further to just 1.2%, as it turns out Gubat salary compass. With this, Belgium scores best among all OECD countries – and therefore also within the European Union.

How does the gender pay gap change with age? Among workers under 25, the gap was negative in 2021, at -0.1%, according to Statbel. But the difference increases sharply with age, reaching 8.5% for those ages 55 to 64.

Vander Sijpe: “Women choose more simply than men to take care of the family at that age. Or they drop out because they have a stressful executive job that they can’t organize in a practical way. And yes, they can also hit a glass podium, but many women still choose that today.”

The story is less positive for the business: This is where the real wage gap between men and women lies.

Two things are slowing closing the wage gap. “First of all, the wage gap has narrowed less quickly in recent years because of Corona,” notes Frank Vander Sype. “During the pandemic, women worked relatively more in sectors and positions affected by temporary unemployment. Therefore, they often fell behind on alternative income, which led to a decrease in their average annual income compared to that of men and temporarily widened the wage gap.”

At the same time, the wage gap has shrunk less rapidly due to the wage index. “If we index total wages, they will grow at the same rate in percentage terms. But 10% of the lowest wage is an amount less than 10% of the highest wage. So those who earn less will see their wages rise less quickly in absolute numbers.”

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However, the wage gap will continue to narrow, says Frank Vander Sype. On the other hand because of the war for talent. Scarcity in the labor market will continue to be significant in the coming years. As a result, candidates are in an increasingly stronger position to negotiate their salaries. On the other hand, because these candidates are increasingly women. Currently in our country there are more highly educated women than men, while many vacancies require a higher diploma.

Companies will have no choice but to offer the same pay conditions to men and women. “Something they will soon be required to be transparent by law. On May 10, 2023, the European Parliament approved a new directive on wage transparency, which obliges employers to inform job seekers in advance of their starting salary or pay scale.”

Furthermore, companies will have to prove that their wage gap does not exceed 5%. It is a strong directive that Belgium must also translate into national legislation within three years.”

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