Tatyana Ivakhnenko, researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s Mathematical Modeling of Economic Processes Department explained to the Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily why the earnings gap between men and women persists.
According to Tatiana Ivakhnenko, average figures are significantly influenced by the sectoral composition of employment. Wages are often higher in the extractive industries, construction and other sectors where men have traditionally predominated; consequently, rising labor demand in these industries can widen the overall pay gap.
Career interruptions related to having and raising children play a separate role. They can affect not only current income but also future career promotion. At the same time, women still perform a significant portion of unpaid household and childcare work.
"The gender pay gap cannot be attributed to a single cause; it stems from a combination of sectoral differences, variations in career trajectories and differences in working hours. Women are more likely to interrupt their careers to give birth to and raise children, which can result in missed promotions or slower subsequent wage growth. At the same time, men work longer hours on average: according to 2024 data from Rosstat, their actual workweek was approximately two hours longer. This explains part of the disparity in monthly earnings, but by no means the entire gap," noted Tatiana Ivakhnenko.
The expert also highlighted regional disparities. The widest wage gaps are observed in areas such as northern and industrial regions, where the extractive industry and other sectors with predominantly male workforce play a significant role.