Shanghai's new male university degree holders earn on average almost one-third more than their female peers, the biggest gender income gap in the country, according to a salary survey.

 

Online headhunter ChinaHR.com surveyed 3,216 new university graduates, including holders of bachelor, masters and PhD degrees, on their income for the past year.

 

The survey revealed male university leavers had an average annual salary of 45,117 yuan (US$5,706) within one year of graduation. Female graduates received on average 31,416 yuan.

 

The combined average of 39,813 yuan is the highest for a major Chinese city, according to the survey.

 

Analysts blamed the income inequality on Shanghai's industrial development structure and not on gender bias. In Beijing male graduates earned on average 4,000 yuan less a year than female graduates, though the national average was 10 percent in favor of men, according to the survey.

 

"Shanghai has attached great importance to the development information technology and manufacture sectors, in which high wages are offered to attract the best technicians," said Hong Xiangyang, analyst-in-chief at Shanghai Sunward Career Consultant Co Ltd. "But all these tend to be male-dominated majors."

 

At Shanghai's East China University of Science and Technology, 70 percent of PhD students are male, according to the university.

 

The report suggested that the real estate, telecom and electronics industries had the biggest payment disparities between men and women.

 

Men could earn 30 percent more than women in the telecom sector and 20 percent more in electronics companies.

 

A researcher said some blame for the income gap lay with women themselves.

 

Wang Yi, researcher with Shanghai Institute of Public Administration and Human Resources, said lower salary expectations and less-aggressive attitudes hindered women from earning high salaries.

 

An earlier survey conducted by ChinaHR.com said women students had a salary expectation 20 percent to 25 percent lower than their male peers.

 

(Shanghai Daily October 18, 2006)