Finland gender pay gap narrows significantly due to healthcare wage agreements

The gender pay gap in Finland has narrowed by 0.9 percentage points over the past year, a historic increase compared to the average annual reduction of 0.2 percentage points seen in recent decades. This shift has moved the annual Women’s Equal Pay Day from November 2 to November 6.

Labor unions, including STTK, Tehy, and SuPer, attribute this progress to wage programs and collective bargaining agreements within the social and healthcare sectors. The 2022 social and healthcare personnel agreement is cited as a primary driver for the change, as these sectors are predominantly female-dominated.

Despite this progress, women's earnings remain at approximately 85 percent of men's earnings. Union leaders noted that while these wage programs have proven effective in correcting historical imbalances, further work is required to achieve full pay equality, which is currently projected to occur by the end of the century.