"Most men are within a finger's breadth of being mad." - Diogenes the Cynic

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Pay gap between men and women is not due to discrimination but to their lifestyle choice, says study

"The choice of millions of mothers to put children before careers was the chief reason given for the disparity between men and women that emerged after 30.

Before then, the difference in salary was generally just 1 per cent in men's favour...

The difference is usually measured by average hourly earnings, which show men are paid 17.2 per cent more than women...

Professor John Shackleton, of the University of East London, said that in reality the pay gap hardly existed for workers under 30.

He said men work longer hours in more dangerous jobs and face a greater risk of being sacked, while women who take career breaks outnumber their male equivalents by more than five to one.

In a paper for the Institute of Economic Affairs, he pointed out that single, widowed or divorced women earn more than their male counterparts, but the pay gap between men and women in families with three children was 19 per cent.

He also argued that female graduates tend to choose subjects such as psychology or education, which lead to lower-earning careers, while few opt for maths or engineering, which are more likely to result in lucrative jobs. 'The widespread belief that the gender pay gap is a reflection of deep-rooted discrimination by employers is ill-informed and an unhelpful contribution to the debate,' he said.

'The gap is falling but is also a reflection of individuals' lifestyle preferences. Government cannot regulate these away, and should not try to.'

Professor Shackleton also dismissed fears over low pay for part-time women workers.

Most were in low-paid jobs, he said, a factor which accounted for most of the gap."