Women in Slovakia earn one fifth less than men on average, according to the results of an analysis conducted by Poštova banka based on Eurostat data. This figure represents one of the biggest gaps in the European Union. More significant differences in earnings between the genders are found in only five other EU countries. "The country with the biggest 'discrepancy' between men's and women's salaries is Estonia, where women earn up to 25% less than men, followed by Czech Republic (almost 22%)," said Postova banka analyst Jana Glasová. On the other hand, in Romania the salary difference is the smallest at only 5.2% followed by Italy (5.3%).
Several factors contribute to lower salaries for women in Slovakia. "These include the individual experience and skills of employees, the level of education attained, as well as different professions. There are areas or sectors where average salaries are higher, but more men than women work there," said the analyst, mentioning the IT and technical sectors as examples. "In addition, there are, of course, differences due to the fact that women go on maternity leave at a certain stage of their lives, when their earnings fall sharply. At the same time, women often prefer looking after a family to a career, which is why they don't often hold managerial and better-paid posts," added Glasová.
