BBC News: Sexism in Blue Chip & Financial Firms

I keep hearing about the smaller wage gap between men and women in white collar jobs in the United States, but new studies in the UK are not so cheery:

• Women earn 80% less in annual bonuses
• Women working full time in finance earned 55% less than men, as compared to 28% less in the general economy

“In general, women tend to be attracted to areas such as retail banking, fund management, insurance and other functions where people skills are at a premium — these, traditionally, do not attract the higher bonuses.”

-British Banker’s Association

In the United States:

• In 2008, women in the general workforce made 80% of their male counterparts (90% for those age 16-34), compared to 62% in 1979.
• For MBAs, women earn 88% compared to men on graduation, decreasing to 62.5% after nine years.

Also… Women in London get 12 *months* of maternity leave by law?!?!?!