Women in Scotland now expect to earn a “scandalous” £3,000 less per year than men as the gender pay gap rises by 30%, according to data analysis seen exclusively by The Herald.

The mean gender pay gap has risen from 6.4% in 2023 to 8.3% in 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings data analysed by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC). This represents a 30% increase to the gap. 

While the typical man saw an increase of £1 to their pay pack, the typical woman only saw their pay go up by 74 pence. The average woman in Scotland earns £16.74 an hour, while the average man earns £18.44 an hour.  These differences in hourly pay, over the course of a year, represent more than £3,000 a year. 

The pay gap has been falling for decades and the STUC has said this increase represents “a significant reversal”. 

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The analysis comes as Unison local government workers continue their dispute on pay and conditions-  with three-quarters of the local government workforce being female.  

A two-week schools strike took place across First Minister John Swinney's constituency -  Perth and Kinross -  last month in a bid to improve pay for all council workers in Scotland. 

This new analysis from the STUC shows the increase in the gender pay gap has been driven by a rise in the gap within the public sector. The pay gap within the private sector has fallen, although it still remains higher than the public sector. 

With the UK Government Budget allocating £1.5 billion in additional funding for the Scottish Government, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer has urged government ministers to “pay up for women”.

Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison has previously said any money gained by the Scottish government in the UK Budget was expected to be offset by about £500m in increased public sector costs due to employers being asked to pay National Insurance contributions on workers' wages.

Ms Foyer told The Herald, however, that ministers must return to the negotiating table to ensure a better wage for everyone across the public sector.  

Ms Foyer said: “It’s simply staggering and scandalous that, despite progress having been made, the gender pay gap in Scotland has risen by 30%. Women can now expect to take home an inexcusable £3000 less than their male counterparts.

“With the gap growing more in the public sector than the private sector, it confirms entirely what trade unions have been long calling for: public sector workers deserve better pay.

“The Scottish Government must pay up for women. With three-quarters of the local government workforce being female and with over £1.5 billion having landed into the lap of the Scottish Government as a result of the UK Government's Budget, there is simply no excuse for them to ignore the voices of women workers any longer.

“Ministers must return to the negotiating table. Our public sector workers deserve a wage that represents their worth and it’s entirely within the power of the Scottish Government to make that happen."

The Scottish Government said Scotland still has a lower gender pay gap as well as more women earning the real living wage or more compared to the rest of the UK. 

A Scottish Government spokesperson added: “While employment law is reserved, the Scottish Government is working to reduce the gender pay gap and promote equality through its Fair Work approach.

“The pay offer for local government workers in Scotland is better than offers in the rest of the UK. It will see the lowest paid workers receive a 5.63% pay increase and most local government workers receive more than 4%. This delivers what GMB, Unite and Unison asked for from councils at the end of July.”