16 November 2007
Male graduates are more likely to be in full-time work and earn more than their female counterparts, a major study has found.
The research, which looked at about 25,000 graduates three-and-a-half years after finishing their degrees, found a £1,000 difference in the median salaries of full-time male and female workers.
Catherine Benfield, who led the project for the Higher Education Statistics Agency, said: 'Women's approach to the job market is possibly different, in that the jobs they tend to go for have an impact on their salary level.
'For example, there is a higher proportion of women who go into teaching or nursing, which have quite a small year-on-year salary increase.'
It was possible that more women took part-time work because of parenting commitments, she added.
There was also a larger proportion of male graduates in the highest two salary bands. In total, 39% of male graduates were earning more than £25,000 when the survey took place, compared with 27% of women.
The gap was most pronounced in the £30,000–£49,999 bracket. Only 10% of female graduates were at this level, compared with 17% of males. Of graduates earning more than £50,000, 3% were male and 1% female.
More men were in full-time work than women, 79% compared with 70%.
White and Asian people were more likely to be in full-time work than black graduates.
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