Equal Pay Day 2025: Highlighting the Ongoing Gender Pay Gap
Equal Pay Day is a significant reminder of the persistent income disparity between men and women. This symbolic day marks the point in the year until which women have effectively worked "for free" compared to their male counterparts, based on the gender pay gap.
Federal Minister for Women Susanne Raab Highlighted the Ongoing Women Opportunity Issues on Equal Pay Day. / Picture: © Bundeskanzleramt (BKA) / Christoper Dunker
On February 13, 2025, Austria observes Equal Pay Day, a date symbolizing the persistent wage gap between women and men. This day underscores the necessity for a comprehensive societal approach to achieve true gender equality. Federal Minister for Women, Susanne Raab, emphasizes that bridging this gap demands collaboration across all levels, including federal, state, and local governments, social partners, and businesses.
The gender pay gap is determined by comparing the average gross annual incomes of women and men across various employment categories. According to data from 2023, significant disparities exist in different sectors. Among workers, the pay gap is 25.0%, with women making up only 18% of the workforce. Among employees, women earn 28.8% less than their male counterparts, despite representing 38% of this category. Contractual public servants experience a smaller gap of 6.1%, with women holding 57% of these positions. Interestingly, among civil servants, women earn 5.3% more than men, although they constitute only 36% of this group. These figures result in an overall pay gap of 12.18%, with women making up 33% of the workforce.
According to Orf, The income gap varies significantly between Austria’s federal states. In Vienna, the gap is the smallest at 4.3%. In contrast, in Vorarlberg, the gap is 20%.Eurostat calculates the gender pay gap on the basis of hourly wages. At 18.4 percent, Austria is the country with the second highest gender pay gap, behind Estonia with 21.3 percent. Luxembourg tops the list with a reverse gender pay gap of minus 0.7 percent, followed by Italy with 4.3 percent. Overall, the EU has a pay gap of 12.7 percent
Minister Susanne Raab highlights the critical role of accessible childcare in enabling mothers to balance family and career commitments. To support this, the government has initiated a childcare expansion campaign focusing on increasing the availability of spots for children under three years old, extending care hours, and enhancing year-round services. This initiative aims to provide mothers with greater flexibility and opportunities in the workforce.
Beyond childcare, the empowerment of young women and girls is essential for fostering equal opportunities. Minister Raab points to the importance of encouraging female participation in fields where they are underrepresented, such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). By inspiring interest in these areas, the goal is to open pathways to well-paying careers and reduce the gender pay gap.
Equal Pay Day serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges in achieving wage parity between genders. It highlights the importance of continued efforts and collaboration across all sectors of society to ensure that future generations can benefit from true equality in the workplace.