In the U.K., the gender pay gap has reversed among Gen Z. This was noted in the Centre for Social Justice’s (CSJ) report titled “Lost Boys.”
Specifically, the report found that among those working full-time at the ages of 16-24, women made slightly more money than men. However, it’s worth noting that as they get older, this trend reverses, which, perhaps, as The Independent points out, is due to the “motherhood penalty” women face later in their careers.
“In some ways, the gender pay gap is fascinating, but not really the point,” Luke Taylor, a researcher at the CSJ, told the outlet. “It’s kind of a symptom of a wider change.”
The report suggests that women taking the lead is because there has been a decline in lower-education-level jobs for men, with women more likely to excel academically in childhood.
“There has been a long-term hollowing out of work in the industrial sector for men with lower education levels. And the expectation of that kind of work has very much changed, because there are fewer of these jobs, and now you might need a degree,” Taylor notes.
The report also shows that boys are nearly twice as likely to get excluded as girls, and more than twice as likely to get expelled.
“When it comes to education, we either need to accept that boys are more stupid or it’s the system setting them up to fail,” Taylor adds. “Whichever one it is, we need to recognise that boys are in need of a bit more support than they’re getting.”
According to recent data provided by the asset management company ADP, this trend reversal seems to be unique to the U.K.
The report found that while U.S.-based women faced a slimmer pay gap, it still existed in favor of men.
For instance, it found that Gen Z women make 92% of what their male equivalents make. Additionally, in just 22 of the U.S.’s 250 metropolitan areas, women either have parity with or earn more than men.
If this trend continues, by the time Gen Z women are over 55, they’ll have earned 75% of what men have earned.
Still, while things aren’t looking great for US women, 36% of Gen Z women remained hopeful the pay gap would improve, compared to 25% of millennials and 29% of boomers.
The story was shared to r/Jobs subreddit, where it was quickly removed by moderators. But not before it started a gender war in the replies.
Some argued that it was due to young men opting to go to trade schools or just enter a trade field.
“Someone convinced education is worthless and they should go into the trades,” one user wrote.
“Most young guys I know (myself included) are still in apprenticeships/trade school for a few more years,” another said. “Takes 5 years to get licensed in my state. Like almost every other state. Not everyone wants to go to traditional school. Especially not going to school just to work in an alternative field from your study. Why go boom or bust in white collar tech or a similar sector when you can make a steady 100k a year in the union or 2-300k a year just opening your own business and changing hot water heaters?”
Others went on tirades about their perception of Gen Z men.
“Have you talked to some of these young men? How many are point-blank unhireable?” one suggests.
“Gen Z men are [expletive] stupid,” another bashed.