There is a “whopping” difference in pay between men and women in the property industry, new research claims.

A study says that real estate is the worst sector for the gender pay gap, with a huge disparity of 31% between male and female workers.

Digital PR consultants Reboot analysed government workforce statistics to produce the findings. They did so by calculating gender pay gap differences based on average gross hourly pay of men and women, using the latest data from the Labour Force Survey

“The industry that has the biggest gender pay gap is ‘real estate activities’, whereby women receive a whopping 31.12% less than men. (This sector is described as activities of real estate investment trusts which includes buying, selling and renting own real estate), Reboot says.

Out of the 20 sectors analysed, there are just three industries where women receive higher pay than men. These are activities of domestic personnel, construction, mining and quarrying.

A quarter of industries pay men over 20% more than women. There are no industries whereby men and women are paid equally, Reboot says.

In the construction industry, women represent just 14% of workers, but surprisingly they are paid 17% more than men on average.

Claim disputed

“I have seen no evidence whatsoever of firms paying females less than men”

Anthony Hesse, MD of Property Personnel, says he disputes the findings, and says that maybe the figures are skewed by more women in estate agencies filling office administrator or co-ordinator roles.

“I have seen no evidence whatsoever of firms paying females less than men,” he told The Neg.

There are issues though with women finding they are less likely to gain promotion because they have spent time raising a family, he says.