By the Numbers: Gender wage gap starts right out of college and worsens over time
Ottawa – January 18, 2020 – A new report by the Labour Market Information Council and the Education Policy Research Initiative shows that, for college and university graduates, the gender wage gap begins right after graduation and worsens over time.
Titled “How Much Do They Make?” and based on labour market data from Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada, the report finds women workers earn an average of $5,700, or 12 percent, less than their male counterparts one year after graduation.
This gap widens to 25 percent less five years after graduation, when women make an average of $17,700 less than men across all occupations.
While the report also notes a difference in earnings between Canadian workers and international graduates who stay and work in Canada, unlike the patterns observed by gender, the earnings differences between Canadian and international graduates tend to narrow over time.
Notably, the report does not include data on the incomes of certified tradespeople who have completed registered apprenticeship programs. The authors plan to analyze this data in an upcoming study.
As Canada’s leading union, UFCW is committed to closing the gender wage gap and achieving equity for women workers across the country. For more information on UFCW Canada’s advocacy efforts for women, visit our Women and Gender Equity webpage.