The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published its latest analysis of the UK gender pay gap. While the data from April 2025 shows a modest narrowing compared to previous years, it reinforces a familiar message for employers: gender-based pay differences persist across sectors, occupations and age groups, and are likely to remain under regulatory and public scrutiny.
Against the backdrop of the forthcoming requirements for an equality action plan, the figures provide a timely prompt for employers to review their own data, governance arrangements and approach to pay transparency.
The figures
The ONS figures show that median hourly earnings (excluding overtime) for full-time employees were £20.27 for men and £18.87 for women. This represents a gender pay gap of 6.9%, down slightly from 7.1% in 2024.
When all employees, including part-time employees, are taken into account, the gender pay gap stands at 12.8% in 2025. This is a marginal reduction from 2024, when the gap was 13.1%.
Among part time employees, women earned marginally more per hour than men, resulting in a negative gap of -2.9% in 2025, compared with -3% in the previous year.
The data also highlights variation by occupation and age. The largest pay gaps continue to appear in skilled trades, where the gap was 13.9%. The gap remains significantly higher for employees aged 40 and over (9.1%), compared with 3.9% for those between 30 and 39. This reinforces the role that, career progression, seniority and time out of the employment market can play in shaping longer term pay outcomes.
Over a longer timeframe, the ONS reports that the gap has reduced by approximately 25% for all employees over the past decade, although progress has slowed in recent years.
Key takeaways for employers
The publication of the latest ONS data comes as employers prepare for new equality planning obligations. The Employment Rights Act 2025 will introduce an obligation on employers with 250 or more employees to publish an equality action plan, setting out the steps they are taking to address their organisation’s gender pay gap. While this duty will become mandatory from April 2027, the government is encouraging voluntary publication of an equality action plan before then. You can read more in our previous blog post (here).
In this context, employers may wish to use the ONS findings as a prompt to review their own pay data and underlying processes. A robust gender pay audit, covering base pay, bonuses, promotions and progression rates, remains central to effective compliance, governance and risk management.
Where a gender pay gap persists, consider the underlying drivers. These may include unequal access to higher-paid roles, the impact of flexible or part-time working arrangements on progression, or bias in pay-setting and promotion decisions. Addressing these issues typically requires targeted and sustained initiatives, for example around talent pipelines, flexible working practices and bonus design.
Regular monitoring, clear accountability and transparent communication of progress can help demonstrate a genuine commitment to reducing pay disparities, as well as mitigating legal and reputational risk.
Conclusion
Although the UK gender pay gap has narrowed over time, the latest ONS analysis shows that disparities, with their complex underlying causes, remain embedded across much of the workforce. For employers, the ONS data serves both as a diagnostic tool and a reminder of the need for proactive, ongoing action, particularly as regulatory expectations around pay transparency and equality continue to develop.
