Hear This: Class Pay Gap in Britain Shows Snobbery Persists
The latest evidence of the persistence — and perniciousness — of the class system comes from an official government report from the Social Mobility Commission, which found what it called
a "class pay gap." Professionals with working-class backgrounds make, on average, 6,800 pounds, or about $8,400, less a year than their colleagues from more privileged families.
The study attributed some of that difference to education and other factors, but it also found
that those from working-class families who have exactly the same occupational role, education and experience as their colleagues from more advantaged backgrounds are still paid, on average, 2,242 pounds, or about $2,800, less a year.
The class pay gap is worse for women and people from minority-ethnic backgrounds, according to the research,
which was carried out for the commission by the London School of Economics and University College London.
Another is what it called "cultural matching," whereby those making the hiring decisions extend
job offers to those with whom they feel comfortable based on social and cultural traits.
One reason for the pay disparity, the study suggested, is
that children of professional families are more likely to work for larger companies and in London, where salaries are higher.
19, 2017
LONDON — For a relatively small country, Britain is blessed with a multitude of regional and even neighborhood accents.
