This week, the PRCA launched the PR and Communications Census 2019, which revealed that the industry gender pay gap has decreased since 2018.
Women make up 67% of the industry, yet the gender pay gap in the PR and communications industry is 13.6% -7.4% lower since 2018. The ONS gender pay gap figure for all employees (part-time and full-time employees) is 17.9%. The ONS figure for full-time employees is 8.6%. The Census figure reported here includes both part-time and full-time employees.
This year, the pay disparity has decreased from £11,365 to £6,412. On average, female employees earn £40,651 and male employees earn £47,063.
The gender pay gap at agencies is higher than the industry average at 15.4%. The in-house gender pay gap is 6.9%, which is lower than the industry average.
Bibi Hilton CMPRCA, President, Women in PR, and Managing Director, Golin London, said:
“It’s positive to see the gender pay gap in our industry reducing, but in an industry which is 67% female, we should have no pay gap. The lack of change in the ethnic diversity of the industry is even more concerning. Talking about the issues is not enough, we have to collectively take action – from overhauling outdated recruitment practices to championing flexible working and increasing the representation of women from all backgrounds and all ages at leadership level. At Women in PR, we are doing this through our mentoring programme, speaker directory and monthly events which give leaders of all genders and backgrounds a platform but there is a lot more work to be done.”
Francis Ingham MPRCA, Director General, PRCA, said:
“I am encouraged by the decrease in the gender pay gap, but the fact that we still have a gender pay gap at all is in itself unacceptable. Agencies in particular need urgently to ask themselves how they can promote more women into leaderships roles. As an industry, we should also have a wider conversation about workplace culture and flexible working to ensure that we are retaining valuable talent.
“It is a travesty that women make up the majority of the industry, but that so many of them are not able to progress to leadership roles in the same way that male colleagues can. The industry must do more to champion women in leadership positions, which is why we will continue to work closely with Women in PR.”
The Census is produced in conjunction with PRWeek and global market research agency Norstat.
