Data from the Statistics Department showed that professional, scientific and technical activities recorded the largest median monthly pay gap, at RM1,550, with women earning less than men.
Other large gaps were recorded in industries such as information and communication (RM1,180), education (RM832) and manufacturing (RM729).
Of the 19 industries listed by the department, women earned more than men in only four: construction; human health and social work; administrative and support services; and water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation.
Overall, men earned a monthly average of RM2,850 in 2024 – RM209 more than women, who earned RM2,641.
Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) research associate Wan Amirah Wan Usamah said women were also more likely to be concentrated in informal work arrangements and jobs that did not match their education level.
She said the gender pay gap was reflective of the types of employment women participated in as well as the management positions they were able to hold.
“Our report found that female fresh graduates were more likely to have a starting pay below RM2,000 compared to their male counterparts,” she said.
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Another researcher, Adam Manaf Mohamed Firouz, said concentration in lower-paying sectors alone did not fully explain the wage gap.
“In 2024, around 35% of women employees are in manufacturing and wholesale/retail trade, two sectors with relatively low median wages.”
Citing the education sector as an example, he said women make up 61% of total employees in the field but the gender pay gap is 13%.
A 2024 KRI working paper, titled “Gender Gap in the World of Work: Status and Progress”, found that the gender pay gap is influenced by several factors such as structural differences in employment, educational attainment, work experience, working hours, location and others.
The report also noted that the gap varied with age, with the widest disparity among older workers.
In 2022, women aged 55 to 64 earned 7.6% less than men, compared with a 4.7% gap among prime-age workers aged 25 to 54.
“One possible reason for the differences in the pay gap could be generational differences, as younger workers generally have higher levels of educational attainment and are more likely to work in higher paying industries or occupations compared to their older counterparts,” it said.
Women’s lower earnings later in life may reflect career opportunities forgone earlier, including time out of the workforce to care for children or elderly relatives.
