It’s been four years since women in British Columbia earned 82 cents to every dollar a man earned, thanks to legislation aimed at closing the gender pay gap. While it’s too early to tell how this act has influenced the overall gender pay gap in 2023, new data reveals that there are significant disparities when it comes to intersecting identities.
Non-racialized women were the only group to see a smaller gender pay gap, earning 88 cents for every dollar a man made. However, newcomer women made just 81 cents per dollar earned by men, while Indigenous women and racialized women trailed behind at 80 cents and 76 cents respectively.
The data also highlights significant disparities within the LGBTQ2S+ community. Lesbian, bisexual or pansexual women had lower personal median incomes than their heterosexual counterparts – a whopping 35% less than heterosexual men and just 2% more than heterosexual women. However, lesbian, bisexual or pansexual women in B.C. enjoyed a unique advantage with median income levels that were four percent higher compared to the rest of Canada.
Gay, bisexual or pansexual men fared even worse, earning significantly lower personal incomes compared to their lesbian, bisexual or panosexual counterparts – an issue that may be partly attributed to other intersectional differences such as racialization and newcomer status.
The report also shed light on part-time and full-time work patterns. While women who worked part-time earned slightly more per hour than men in the same category, it’s because they were concentrated in higher-paying sectors like healthcare and social assistance. Meanwhile, men are more likely to work full-time – a trend that has persisted since 2017.
The data also revealed significant disparities between industries when it comes to pay. Healthcare and social assistance paid women up to 30% less than the median wage, while education paid about 19% more. In contrast, construction, manufacturing, scientific and technical sectors paid men anywhere from 13-59% more than the median wage.
In an effort to address these disparities and promote greater transparency in pay practices, B.C.’s Pay Transparency Act was enacted. As of May 11th this year, employers are no longer allowed to ask job applicants about their previous salaries or punish employees who inquire about pay transparency. Additionally, as of November 1st last year, employers must include the expected pay range in public job postings.
Employers above a certain size threshold will also be required to post annual reports on pay transparency by November 1st each year. As we continue to work towards closing B.C.’s gender and intersectional pay gaps, these measures aim to promote greater accountability and fairness in our workplaces.