Working part time does increase the wage gap between men and women, costing women both money and promotion, according to annual research by Intermediair magazine and Nyenrode University.

In particular, the wage gap between men and women has increased among people under the age of 36, the Nationaal Salaris Onderzoek 2019 shows. Women up to the age of 35 now earn 6.4% less than their male colleagues – two years ago the figure was 4.9%.

But the research also shows that women in part time jobs are actually working two hours a week more than they are paid for. This, Nyenrode professor Jaap van Muijen says ‘adds up to almost three weeks unpaid extra effort’.

The research shows that men earn on average 8% more than women – even if there is no difference in the jobs being done. Law and the financial sector have the biggest pay gaps and in general the pay gap increases in line with academic qualifications. Among people with a degree, the pay gap stretches to €12,000 a year.

The survey also showed that 61% of men had a pay rise last year, compared with 52% of women. And 8.3% of women had actually faced a pay cut, nearly three percentage points more than men.

Earlier this year, pension fund APG said it would increase the pay of its female staff after noting they were earning 2.2% less than their male colleagues for doing the same work.

In total, 43,000 took part in the online survey.