New research has revealed that the gender pay gap is ‘virtually extinct’ among freelancers and self-employed workers, this Equal Pay Day.

According to internal data from an online services marketplace, women competing for jobs in industries like plumbing, photography, and personal training are paid at the same rate as their male counterparts, with women earning more in some cases.

New research has revealed that the gender pay gap is ‘virtually extinct’ among freelancers and self-employed workers in the UK. To coincide with Equal Pay Day 2017 (10th November), online services marketplace Bidvine.com has looked at its internal data over the last 12 months and seen a decrease in the ‘gender wage gap’ in key industries.

Women competing for freelance or self-employed opportunities in industries like plumbing, photography, and personal training matched men on the site when it came to money earned and number of jobs won.

In the top five industry categories on Bidvine.com, there was little-to-no evidence of a gender pay gap at play across average rates in the last 12 months up to and including 31st October 2017. Bidvine.com asked 150 men and 150 women from each of the sectors on the site for their earnings in the last 12 months.

1. Personal training – M: £36 / F: £33 per hour

2. Wedding photography – M: £650 / F: £680 per wedding

3. Handy person – M: £20 / F: £17 per hour

4. Domestic cleaning – M: £11 / F: £12 per hour

5. Plumbing – £73 / F: £70 per hour

Bidvine.com is an online local services marketplace where members of the public can ask local service professionals to bid for work. Professionals include dance teachers, wedding service providers, tutors, personal trainers, and photographers, and the site sees hundreds of thousands of job requests every year.

Equal Pay Day occurs on the day each year that women in the UK effectively ‘stop’ earning because of the gender pay gap. Figures for 2017 from the ONS put the average gap at 14.1 percent across all age groups and industry, a figure which has remained unchanged in the last three years, despite the Equal Pay Act being 47 years old.

Russ Morgan, co-founder of Bidvine.com said, “It’s great to see that, at least among the skilled professionals on our site, the gender pay gap is virtually extinct. The explosion of freelance and self-employed workers has seen a shift in how people value the work they do, and what their customers see as value for money for a job well-done.

“Of course, more could always be done, but because at Bidvine.com we connect customers with professionals that meet their exact needs, gender has seemingly become less of an issue. We’re looking forward to the next 12 months, and hopefully a significant change to the ONS figures this time next year.”