The share of executives who benefited from an increase during the year reached “a record level” in 2022 but this remained “without effect on the reduction of wage inequalities”, according to the annual barometer of the Association for employment executives (Apec).
According to this barometer carried out among 13,000 executives in the private sector and published on Monday, the share of executives who benefited from an individual or collective increase in 2022 reached a record level (57%, 11 points compared to 2021). But in 2022, as in previous years, slightly fewer women than men benefited from an increase (54% against 59%), especially among young people (62% against 70%). The median gross annual remuneration of women thus reached 48,000 euros in 2022, i.e. a differential of 15% compared to that of men (55,000 euros).
Stable for years, this gap varies from 6% among those under 35 to 19% among those aged 55 and over. “Women, who are relatively younger than men, often do not hold the same jobs. They are, for example, under-represented in positions of hierarchical responsibility,” explains Apec. But, with an equivalent profile and position, “a salary gap of 7% persists and increases with age: from 3% for those under 35, it reaches 10% for those aged 55 and over”, according to the ‘association. This gap “results from discriminatory behavior, conscious or unconscious, on the part of employers”, she judges.
The director general of Apec Gilles Gateau, quoted in the press release, deplored “a distressing observation, which has been repeated year after year for 10 years”. “Talking about it, making laws, setting goals and indexes is good but… that is clearly not enough, we have to act stronger and faster!”, he asks.
