Gender Pay Gap in France Stalls at 30%, Study Warns of Persistent Inequalities

A report by the Conseil d’analyse économique highlights the slowing progress in reducing income disparities between men and women over the past decade, citing motherhood as a key factor.

• The income gap between men and women in France remains at an average of 30%, with progress in closing the gap slowing significantly since 2010, according to the Conseil d’analyse économique (CAE).
• Key drivers of the disparity include lower female workforce participation, more frequent part-time work, and persistent pay differences even for equivalent roles and hours worked.
• Motherhood is identified as a major factor, with women's earnings dropping by nearly 38% in the decade following the birth of their first child as they often seek more flexible or lower-paying roles.
• The CAE estimates that these gender income inequalities cost the French economy approximately 10% of its GDP, translating to hundreds of billions of euros annually.
• The report recommends measures like extending paternity leave to 10 weeks, mandating salary range transparency in job postings, and enforcing penalties for non-compliance to address the issue.

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L'Humanité Le Nouvel Obs Ouest-France