(Montreal) Quebec women earned on average 91% of the average hourly earnings of their male colleagues in 2021, according to data released on Monday by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
The gap between men and women has narrowed since 1998 when they earned on average 83% of the hourly rate of men.
The analysis by sector paints a different picture, depending on the industry. In management, for example, the gap narrowed while the ratio went from 79% to 91%. A similar situation can be observed in the sales and services sector, where the ratio rose from 80% to 92%.
The situation is stagnating, however, in the natural resources and agricultural sector, in particular, where the ratio remained stable at 72%. This is the sector where the gap is the greatest in 2021.
However, the wealth gap between men and women is wider when weekly earnings are taken into account. Women perform fewer hours of paid work on average. Women earn on average 82.3% of men’s weekly earnings in Quebec.