The pay gap between men and women has increased over the past two years, after shrinking for decades, according to new research by jobs website Intermediair and the Nyenrode Business Universiteit.

The average man in the Netherlands now earns 7.4% more than the average woman, but two years ago the difference was just 5%, the researchers say. The results are based on a survey completed by over 23,000 people. 

Men’s pay has gone up by 16.4% on average since 2021, but that of women just 9.1%, which is below inflation.

Men’s salaries rose faster than women’s across all sectors and levels, with men doing manual work also more likely to increase their wages more than a woman with a university or college degree, the researchers found. 

The media sector is the only one where women earn more than men, but the difference is just 2.5%. 

In IT and law, men now earn on average 22% more than women, while in market research the pay gap is 27%. Translated into euros, the difference can stretch to over €10,000.

The researchers did not analyse why the pay gap has increased but suggested that women did not dare to ask for as much money as men.