Women in Scotland can now expect to earn £3000 less per year than men, according to new figures from the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), Scotland’s largest trade union body.

After analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings data, the STUC found that the gender pay gap in Scotland rose by a remarkable 30%.

The new data shows that the mean gender pay gap has risen from 6.4% in 2023 to 8.3% this year. 

In real terms, this means that while the average man saw an increase of £1 to their pay packet, bringing their hourly earnings up to £18.44, the average woman only saw their pay go up by 74p, giving an hourly rate of £16.74.

These differences in hourly pay, over the course of a year, represent more than £3,000 a year.   

The STUC said that the new figures show a ‘significant reversal’ to previous trends that had shown the gender pay gap narrowing for decades.

The union said the problem had been driven by a widening gender pay gap in the public sector, even as the gap in the private sector has slightly narrowed. Despite this, pay inequality is still higher in the private sector than in the public sector overall, with the STUC saying more investigation is needed to figure out exactly what’s driving these shifts.

In a briefing paper, the union body suggested that the falling gap in the private sector might be linked to the minimum wage helping low-paid workers, while the rise in the public sector could be due to structural factors or the timing of pay agreements. 

To make headway on the issue, the STUC said that the Scottish Government should begin by boosting public sector pay, as well as making investments in childcare provisions, and measures to address educational and societal stereotyping which negatively impact the pay women receive. 

With the UK Budget resulting in additional funding for the Scottish Government of £1.5 billion in 2024-25 and £3.4 billion in 2025-26, the STUC argue that the money should be used to settle the local government dispute with UNISON, boosting public sector pay and closing the pay gap for the three-quarters of local government workforce which are women.

Recommended reading

• Nearly a Quarter of Women in Tech Experience Sexism at Work
• Why Are Women Leaving Tech? Instead, Ask Why They Should Stay
• Number of Women in Tech Drops Amid Skills Gap

“It’s simply staggering and scandalous that, despite progress having been made, the gender pay gap in Scotland has risen by 30%. Women can now expect to take home an inexcusable £3000 less than their male counterparts,” said STUC general secretary Roz Foyer.

“With the gap growing more in the public sector than the private sector, it confirms entirely what trade unions have long been calling for: public sector workers deserve better pay. Ministers must return to the negotiating table. 

“Our public sector workers deserve a wage that represents their worth and it’s entirely within the power of the Scottish Government to make that happen.”

The chance of closing the pay gap with the money allocated to Scotland in the UK Budget is slim, however, with the Scottish Finance Secretary, Shona Robinson, previously saying that the money will be offset by £500 million in increased public sector pay thanks to the increase in National Insurance rates falling on employers.