Females undervaluing themselves in the jobs market

When applying for a new job women ask for around a fifth less than their male counterparts – equalling £4,000 per year for a typical job.

This is according to a new study by Reed.co.uk which found that women applying for jobs through recruitment agencies state their anticipeated salary as £19,900, on average, while men asked for £23,800.

The gap varies depending on the industry with women asking for 22% less in banking and 21% less in the energy sector while in the manufacturing and legal sectors the gap was only nine per cent.

The largest gap was in accountancy, where a qualified male accountant expected to earn £47,000 in their next role compared to just £36,400 for women with the same experience – a gap of 29%

The findings were released to coincide with Equal Pay Day today, to raise awareness of the gender pay gap.

Reed spokesperson Lynn Cahillane said: “Our latest research shows a major difference in the pay expectations of men and women.

“Whatever your gender, it’s important to never undervalue your worth at work, so if you’re thinking about looking for a new job.

The study also showed a sharp contrast between what women expect to get paid and what’s actually on offer.

Using the website’s ‘average salary checker’ tool, Reed found many female applicants asked for less than their industry’s average.