This report delves into the disparities in career advancement and pay among working-class female professionals.
- Only 26% of working-class women have been offered promotions at their current jobs, highlighting significant barriers.
- The gender and class pay gaps substantially affect these women’s earnings and career progression.
- A lack of awareness and guidance on achieving promotions further hampers advancement for working-class women.
- Systematic changes are needed to address these persistent inequalities in pay and promotion.
Only 26% of working-class female professionals have been offered promotions at their current companies, compared to 59% of their counterparts from upper-middle-class backgrounds. This disparity underscores significant challenges faced by women from working-class backgrounds, exacerbating existing barriers in career progression and pay equity.
The issue of pay inequality is further compounded by the fact that professionals from working-class backgrounds typically earn 12% less annually than those from other socio-economic groups. This means many are effectively working one day a week without pay. The dual impact of class and gender pay gaps presents a formidable obstacle for these women.
Coral Bamgboye, the Head of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Robert Walters UK, identifies this as a ‘sticky floor’ issue, rather than the more commonly discussed ‘glass ceiling’. The terminology reflects the compounded limitations faced by women from working-class backgrounds in terms of pay and promotion.
Inadequate access to career resources exacerbates these issues. Reportedly, 32% of working-class women are unaware of how to advance their careers, the highest percentage across gender and socio-economic classes. This lack of awareness traces back to the educational system, where opportunities for career advice and mentorship are fewer for these individuals.
Moreover, 52% of working-class women feel underpaid, a sentiment shared 17% more frequently than among their peers from upper-middle-class backgrounds. The salary ceiling for half of these women caps at £21,000, starkly contrasting with upper-middle-class women, only 18% of whom fall below this threshold. Higher income brackets reveal even greater inequities, with a mere 1% of working-class women earning between £55,000 to £100,000.
Financial instability is a pronounced issue, with many working-class women living paycheque-to-paycheque or relying on additional income sources. This is compounded by their inability to save, with women generally saving 35% less than men, leaving them vulnerable to economic shifts.
Salary negotiations further illuminate disparities. Despite low pay, 64% of working-class women have never negotiated for a raise, due to a range of factors including perceived employer inflexibility and a lack of negotiation confidence. Among those who attempted, many received less than half of their desired raise, if any.
Bamgboye stresses the business responsibility in rectifying these disparities, advocating for transparent advancement opportunities, explicit pay gap reporting, and dedicated support groups for socio-economically disadvantaged professionals.
Promoting equal opportunities and transparency in the workplace can help break the cycle of limited progression for working-class women.
