Factors for Improvement in Gender Pay Gap in Past Decade

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower what are the top three factors that have led to the improvement in the gender pay gap in Singapore over the past decade.

Mrs Josephine Teo: The Ministry of Manpower is currently carrying out further analysis on the factors affecting pay differences between men and women.

From our preliminary findings, three main factors have contributed to the narrowing of pay differences. First, the employment rate of women in prime-working ages has risen; they tend to be better educated and earned higher wages than older women. Second, women have moved out of lower-skilled industries more quickly than men. Third, greater access to flexible work arrangements has enabled more women to continue working and maintain their career advancement.

More findings will be shared towards the end of 2019.