The gender pay gap at Portsmouth City Council has narrowed slightly, though more women continue to work in part-time roles and lower pay bands.
A recent annual report on the gender pay gap among council staff was noted by members of the council’s employment committee.
The report for 2025 shows the mean pay gap has fallen to 4.69 per cent, down from 5.62 per cent in 2024. The median pay gap has also dropped sharply to 2.69 per cent, compared with 7.11 per cent the previous year.
The figures mean the council’s gap is lower than the national average, where women working full time earn on average 6.9 per cent less than men.
Data in the report shows the council employed 4,690 staff as of March 2025. Around 68 per cent of employees were women, reflecting the workforce makeup across many local authorities.
However, the report highlights that women remain over-represented in lower paid roles, which continues to influence the overall gap.
Within the council’s lowest pay quartile, 71 per cent of employees are female, compared with 29 per cent male.
While women still make up the majority in higher pay bands, the proportion of men increases slightly at senior levels.
Working patterns also play a role. The report found women make up 86 per cent of part-time staff, while men are more likely to work full time. Because part-time roles often have lower hourly pay, this contributes to the overall pay difference.
Long service awards and honorary payment gap stood at 21.9 per cent in favour of men, though the median bonus gap was –47.81 per cent, meaning the midpoint payments were higher for women.
An age breakdown in the data found that women earn more than their male counterparts in several mid-career age groups, particularly between 40 and 59. However, younger full-time women aged 16 to 21 earned 8.49 per cent less than men.
The report concludes that the council’s gender pay gap largely reflects workforce structure, particularly the higher number of women working in part-time roles and lower pay bands.
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