The gender gap in wages is widening according to the latest statistics from the Economic and Social Research Institute.
Men, on average, earn 8% more than women according to this morning's report by The Equality Authority and the ESRI.
The authority says the research points to a need for greater gender equality.
When the last gender pay research of this kind was published seven years ago, men earned around 6% more than women; the increase of 2% to the current gap of 8% cannot be explained.
The ESRI found certain things reduced the wage gap.
Centralised wage bargaining, family friendly policies within companies and the national wage agreement benefited women but a greater concentration of women in part-time work led to a wider gap in income with men.
The wage gap in the hotel sector stands at 13% but in education it increased to 46%, this is before any factors are taken into account, such as length of service, experience or education standards.
The Equality Authority has said the statistics prove the need for carefully targeted policies to promote gender equality.
