Huge gender pay gap in India: Monster survey
Monster India, the online career and recruitment service provider, has released the latest 'Monster Salary Index' (MSI) for 2015, which analyses the job market in India. What was highlighted in the Monster India survey was the gender pay gap, which stood at 27%. The median gross salary earned by a man was Rs.288.68 per hour; whereas a woman's median gross hourly wage was Rs.207.85.
What is Monster?
Monster, founded in 1999 by Jeff Taylor, is one of the most popular and largest employment websites in the world. The online employment service helps people to find and post job vacancies from lower-level to mid-level.
What is Monster Salary Index?
Monster Salary Index, started in 2013 in India, is a survey that helps employees and employers by analyzing the trends in the job-market. MSI empowers employees/jobseekers by comparing salaries of various sectors across a broad spectrum of industry domains, experience, functional groups at both national and international level markets. MSI provides employers with practical information by analyzing the salary market and optimizing employee remuneration.
MSI covers eight sectors of the market
The MSI for 2015 covered eight sectors of the Indian job market–IT services, health care/social work/caring services, education/research, finance/banking/insurance, communication/transportation/logistics, technical/construction consultancies, and manufacturing/legal/market/business.
IT services’ gross pay dips by 2%
According to the Monster Salary Index, the median gross hourly salary in IT services for 2015 decreased by 2% to Rs.337.3 from Rs.346.4 in 2013 and 2014. In the education and research field, the median gross hourly salary registered an increase of 21% for 2015. It rose from Rs.174.5 in 2014 to Rs.212.6 in 2015; in 2013, it was much higher at Rs.225.2.
Manufacturing sector’s gross salary marginally increases
The average gross hourly pay of the manufacturing sector increased from Rs.256.6 in 2014 to Rs.256.6 in 2015; in 2013, it was Rs.251.7. The median gross hourly salary in transport/logistics/communication industry for 2015 decreased from Rs.270.1 in 2014 to Rs.253.6; in 2013, it was Rs.230.9. In 2015, healthcare sector's gross median pay dropped from Rs.240.6 in 2014 to Rs.220.4; it was Rs.216.5 in 2013.
Highest gender pay gap in manufacturing sector
In the IT sector, a huge gender pay gap of 34% was seen for 2015; women earned only Rs.239.6 per hour whereas men earned Rs.360.9. Manufacturing industry registered the highest gender pay gap of 34.9%; men received Rs.259.8 and women made only Rs.192.5. Gender pay gap in education and research sector is 22%; men's median gross hourly pay was Rs.220 and women's was Rs.171.
Least gender pay difference is 17.7%
The transport/logistics/communication sector registered the least percentage of gender pay difference for the year 2015. The area saw a gender pay gap of only 17.7%; men employed in the industry earned Rs.255 per hour while women earned Rs.209.7. The healthcare/caring services/social work sector registered a gender pay gap of 26% in median gross hourly salary; women earned Rs.178.3 per hour and men received Rs.240.6.
Possible reasons for the alarming gender pay difference
According to Monster India, one of the reasons for the huge gender pay difference could be the preference for men over women during recruitment. Preference for the promotion of men over women to higher positions was also cited as one of the reasons. Career breaks, parenthood duties, family responsibilities, other social and cultural factors for women also contributed to the huge pay difference.
Men receive higher salary offers: Sanjay Modi-MD Monster
"Worldwide, the lack of pay parity has taken a centre stage with strong views being shared by sports persons, political and business leaders alike. Men often receive higher salary offers than women vying for the same title in the same organization."
