National Minimum Wage statistics
This briefing looks at trends in the UK National Minimum Wage, minimum Wage jobs and how the UK compares internationally.

This briefing paper provides statistics on the size of the gender pay gap in the UK and how it varies by factors such as age, occupation and location.
The gender pay gap (637 KB , PDF)
The gender pay gap measures the difference between average (median) hourly earnings of men and women, usually shown by the percentage men earn more than women.
Figures for 2020 and 2021 should be treated with some caution. Some people were on furlough with reduced pay and figures for 2020 were particularly affected by disruptions to the collection of data from businesses.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), median hourly pay for full-time employees was 7.0% less for women than for men in April 2024, while median hourly pay for part-time employees was 3.0% higher for women than for men (figures exclude overtime pay). The median is the point at which half of employees earn more and half earn less. It is regarded a better measure of pay of the ‘typical’ employee than taking an average.
Because a larger proportion of women are employed part-time, and part-time workers tend to earn less per hour, the gender pay gap for all employees is considerably larger than the full-time and part-time gaps. Median pay for all employees was 13.1% less for women than for men in April 2024.
The full-time pay gap has been getting smaller since 1997 and the overall pay gap has also decreased over the period. The part-time pay gap has generally remained small and negative, with women earning more than men on average.
The size of the gender pay gap depends on several factors, including:
Since 2017/18, public and private sector employers with 250 or more employees have been required annually to publish data on the gender pay gap within their organisations.
In 2022/23, 78% of reporting employers stated that median hourly pay was higher for men than for women in their organisation, while 14% of employers stated median hourly pay was higher for women. 8% stated that median hourly pay was the same for women as for men.
The gender pay gap (637 KB , PDF)
This briefing looks at trends in the UK National Minimum Wage, minimum Wage jobs and how the UK compares internationally.
A general debate on LGBT+ History Month is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons Chamber on 13 February 2025.
The second reading of the Employment Rights Bill 2024-25 took place on 21 October 2024. This briefing covers the bill's progress from second reading through to the end of its committee stage.