Nearly three-quarters of employees in Czechia (73%) perceive a gender pay gap, according to a survey by Grafton Recruitment.

The employees cited historical/cultural customs (25%), different negotiation skills (26%) or simply gender discrimination (23%) as reasons for the gender pay gap.

Meanwhile, 27% of respondents do not recognise differences in pay between men and women. Grafton noted that these are most often qualified workers of international companies, where there are strict rules regarding equal pay. 

“These are mainly employees of globally operating companies that respect equal pay and transparency even without regulation,” marketing director Jitka Kouba said in a press release.

A salary analysis of applicants placed in primary roles by Grafton Recruitment in 2023 revealed that the job roles where the differences are the biggest include, for example, accounting and sales positions, where women even earn 22% less than men. The analysis recorded a difference of 16% in the position of ‘operator in production’, 12% in administrative positions, and only 4% in software development.

According to data from the Czech Statistical Office, in 2023 the biggest difference in wages between men and women across segments, professions and job positions was in the Zlín region, where it amounted to almost 19%. 

“In general, today, wage matching is mainly approached by corporate companies that have already experienced this process in their countries of origin, or those companies for which equal pay is an internal value,” Martin Malo, director of Grafton Recruitment, said.