Gender pay gap will persist until 2067 unless women join STEM careers

The pay gap between men and women won't close until 2069 unless more women take up careers in science and engineering, a new report warns.

Research by accountancy firm Deloitte suggests women should take advantage of changes in the labour market driven by technology, by working in areas like maths, engineering, technology and science - fields where pay is balanced.

The study shows that the hourly pay gap between men and women is closing at a rate of just 2.5p each year - with parity not expected for another 53 years.

Yet the report says it is "too simplistic to explain the gender pay gap in terms of pay inequality," and that it is partly due to different career choices.

Female graduates earn on average 8% less than their male equivalents across all STEM subjects, compared to 9% across all other industries.

And there is no pay gap across dentistry, medicine, engineering and technology, Deloitte's report shows.

Emma Codd, managing partner for talent at Deloitte, said: "We know that the pay gap is far smaller for those women starting their careers in STEM related roles; we also know that high-skilled jobs demanding a blend of cognitive, social and technical skills are typically among the most highly-paid.

"Therefore, if more women study STEM subjects and pursue related careers they will increase their earnings potential in the early years of their working lives and - should they remain in their careers - the later ones.

"This in turn should serve to reduce the gender pay gap," she said.