Female independent professionals are finally closing the pay gap

For the first time, women earn more per hour than men, and this lead continues to grow each year.

Hoofddorp - For the first time in Dutch history, female freelancers on average earn a higher hourly rate than their male colleagues, specifically 3.2 percent more. This is evident from the latest edition of the Talent Monitor, a joint publication by HR-tech service provider HeadFirst Group and labour market data specialist Intelligence Group. The income of female self-employed workers has more than doubled since 2007 compared to that of men. 

Trend has been ongoing for a decade 

When comparing incomes, the traditional pay gap between men and women often emerges. For a long time, female freelancers on average earned less than their male counterparts. This was partly because women were relatively more active in occupations and sectors with a lower hourly rate. Even when adjusted for these differences, an income gap remained that could only be explained by gender. 

Since 2007, women's income has grown on average by 4.1 percent per year, compared to 2 percent for men. Especially since 2020, female freelancers have made significant strides. Geert-Jan Waasdorp, CEO at Intelligence Group: “This difference is not a coincidence or a snapshot, but the result of a structural trend that has been evident in our data for years. It gained momentum during the coronavirus period, when women no longer had to negotiate about remote working, which they did much more often than men. Combined with other factors, we have now reached the historic point where women hold the rate advantage.”  

Factors behind the rise 

Firstly, more women have progressed to specialist and senior roles with higher rates. In addition, female freelancers are relatively more often in the "top" of the market, with more experience and niche roles, while male freelancers have a wider distribution across all experience levels and rate classes. Moreover, many women are active in sectors with persistent shortages such as healthcare, whereas relatively many male freelancers work in sectors where rates are under pressure, such as ICT. Greater rate transparency and attention to equal pay also contribute to the disappearance of the previously unexplained gap. Finally, the aforementioned more equal playing field of employment conditions also plays a role - particularly in the area of remote working, but also due to the rising need for part-time working among men.