Equal pay day highlights gender pay gap

Today is EU equal pay day and it is being highlighted that women in the Ireland are earning more than a tenth less than men doing the same work.

Hourly pay rates for women are 13.9% lower than those of their male colleagues.

The European Commission's study shows some improvement is being made though, with the gap closing on average in countries across Europe by 1.3% in three years.

The average gap across the EU is 16.2%.

The gender pay gap, 2010 figures:

Belgium - 10.2

Bulgaria - 13

Czech Rep - 21.6

Denmark - 16.0

Germany - 22.3

Estonia - 27.7

Ireland - 13.9

Greece - 22.0 (2008)

Spain - 16.2

France - 15.6

Italy - 5.3

Cyprus - 16.8

Latvia - 15.5

Lithuania - 14.6

Luxembourg - 8.7

Hungary - 17.6

Malta - 13.4

Netherlands - 17.8

Austria - 24

Poland - 4.5

Portugal - 12.8

Romania - 8.8

Slovenia - 0.9

Slovakia - 19.6

Finland - 20.3

Sweden - 15.4

UK - 19.5