Explain how the data in Extract C (Figure 2) show that the degree of inequality between the pay of male and female workers is falling.
Figure 1: Variations in male and female earnings and employment across selected service sectors in the UK, 2023
| Sector | Wage gap (%) | Female employment share (%) | Male employment share (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Services | 15 | 42 | 58 |
| Professional & Technical | 12 | 45 | 55 |
| Information & Tech | 14 | 30 | 70 |
| Education | 6 | 70 | 30 |
| Health & Social Work | 4 | 78 | 22 |
Figure 2: Average monthly earnings for full-time employees in the UK Financial Services sector, 2015 to 2023 (£)
| Year | Male (£) | Female (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 4,500 | 3,510 |
| 2019 | 5,000 | 4,100 |
| 2023 | 5,500 | 4,675 |
64 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Economics 1.6 The labour market (A-level only), covering 1.6.1 The demand for labour, marginal productivity theory, 1.6.2 Influences upon the supply of labour to different markets, 1.6.3 The determination of relative wage rates and levels of employment in perfectly competitive labour markets, 1.6.4 The determination of relative wage rates and levels of employment in imperfectly competitive labour markets, 1.6.5 The Influence of trade unions in determining wages and levels of employment, 1.6.6 The National Minimum Wage, and 1.6.7 Discrimination in the labour market. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.