New figures from the Office for National Statistics show that for the first time, women in their twenties are earning more than men of the same age.
The figures reveal that women aged 22 to 29 now earn 1.7% more than men of the same age in full-time work. Overall the gender gap in wages has fallen to its lowest ever level of 10.2%, down from 12.2% last year. It compares to 1971 when men on average earned 36.5% more than women.
The rise in wages amongst young women is down to more females attending university and more going into better paid professions such as law. The decline in private sector pay in comparison to the public sector is also thought to be a factor as there are twice as many women as men in the public sector.
The ONS figures showed that though women in their twenties have moved ahead of men, that trend is reversed by the time the sexes reach 30 as more women leave to start families and perhaps return to part-time rather than full-time work.