It pays to be privileged as research points to £6,700 ‘class pay gap’

New research has revealed a “class pay gap” of thousands of pounds, according to a report.

The Social Mobility Foundation said its study found a pay difference of around £6,700, suggesting that from Monday, those from working-class backgrounds working in higher professionalmanagerial positions stop earning, relative to their peers.

It also means they effectively work for nearly one day in every seven for free, said the report.

The research indicated that those from a working-class background face a “double disadvantage” when gender, ethnic and sectoral differences are taken into consideration.

Working-class women are paid £9,450 less than their male colleagues, even when they are both working in higher professional-managerial positions, said the report.

The study also found that people who are of Bangladeshi and black Caribbean heritage are paid £10,432 and £8,770 less respectively than their white peers in the same jobs.

Regional differences in class gaps show Northern Ireland and London have the biggest pay gaps, compared to those in the Midlands and Scotland who have a much smaller gap, with working class employees in Northern Ireland almost three times worse off than those in Scotland, the report found.

Sarah Atkinson, chief executive of the foundation, is calling on the UK Government to launch a consultation on creating a register for class pay gap reporting.