Trend has been ongoing for a decade

When comparing incomes, the traditional wage gap between men and women often comes to the forefront. For a long time, female freelancers earned on average less than their male colleagues. This was partly due to women being relatively more active in professions and sectors with lower hourly rates. Even when adjusted for these differences, an income gap remained that could only be explained by gender.

Since 2007, women's income has grown by an average of 4.1 percent per year, while for men it was 2 percent. Especially since 2020, female freelancers have made significant progress. Geert-Jan Waasdorp, CEO of Intelligence Group: "This difference is not a coincidence or a snapshot, but the result of a structural trend that has been visible in our data for years. It gained momentum during the corona period when women no longer had to negotiate about working from home, which they had done much more often than men until that point. Combined with other factors, we have now reached the historic point where women have the rate advantage.'

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Factors behind the increase

First of all, more and more women have moved into specialist and senior roles with higher rates. Additionally, female freelancers are relatively more often at the 'top' of the market, with more experience and niche roles, while male freelancers have a broader distribution across all experience levels and rate classes. Moreover, many women are active in persistently tight sectors such as healthcare, while relatively many male freelancers work in sectors where rates are under pressure, such as ICT. Increased rate transparency and attention to equal pay also contribute to the elimination of the previously unexplained gap. Finally, the previously mentioned more equal playing field of employment conditions plays a role - particularly in terms of working from home, but also due to the rising need for part-time work among men.

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Trend continues

Since 2020, the catch-up of female freelancers has accelerated. Statistical models confirm that this structural development is expected to continue in the coming years. "For the first time in history, female professionals earn on average more per hour than their male colleagues. This is a historic turning point," says Marion van Happen, CEO of HeadFirst Group. 'Where ten years ago we still saw a wage gap of over ten percent against women, that gap has not only disappeared but has even reversed. With structural growth, we expect this lead to increase further. For organizations, this means that investing in female talent is not just a matter of principle, but also crucial for attracting and retaining the best expertise.'

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