Chinese women earn a fifth less than men and the gap is widening fast, survey by online recruiter Boss Zhipin finds
- An average Chinese working woman earns 78.2 cents for every dollar paid to a man, the study found
- That is better than the global average and on par with the US and UK, but the gap has widened by 8.7 percentage point in a year
Chairman Mao Zedong, the late Chinese leader, famously said women could “hold up half the sky” as he advocated equal pay for both genders. Almost half a century later it seems his vision is still a long way from fruition.
The average Chinese working woman earns about a fifth less than the average man, according to a survey by online recruiter Boss Zhipin – and the disparity is rapidly getting wider.
The average monthly salary for women in China is 6,497 yuan (US$970), 78.2 per cent of a man’s wages, data collected from the platform’s registered users showed. The gap is 8.7 percentage points bigger than it was a year ago.
Boss Zhipin’s figures, based on a survey of 2,280 people, put China on a par with the US and the UK for gender equality in the workplace.
The Chinese disparity appears to be most pronounced among high earners, the research found.
China, a model for gender equality? The reality would say otherwise