According to a new report, male graduates are earning thousands more than their female counterparts, even though some of them have studied the same degree at the same university.The gap in pay is still occurring despite laws designed to ensure equal access to jobs and pay. The study of 17,000 recent graduates called Futuretrack, found that the take-home pay of more than half of female graduates ranged between £15,000 and £23,999, while male graduates on average were taking home £24,000 and above.The data, which was published in the Hecsu journal Graduate Market Trends, suggested that men were earning more than women across all degree subject areas, even if those subjects were more popular among women. Jane Artess, of Hecsu, said “Since it would be unlawful for employers to pay males and females doing the same job differently, something else must be happening to female graduate earnings.”Heather Jackson, a businesswoman and author, said the results were disappointing but unsurprising. She suggested that managers should take note that “a raft of research published over the last decade has shown that gender diversity and the right balance of talent can be a contributing factor to business performance, so there is a strong business case to ensure that we nurture female talent from the very start of their careers”A spokeswoman for the government said that the gender gap was closing, however “it is still too large” and that “We will continue to work with businesses to ensure that we do all we can to help them make the most of women’s talents, and unlock their full potential.”The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.Setfords Solicitors are a national full service law firm, with employment law solicitors in Norwich and across the country.