Written question WQ82854

Analysis produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that disabled employees living in Wales in 2018 were paid 9.9% less than non-disabled employees. This compares with 12.2% across the UK. We are working across the Welsh Government to address this.

Our approach to social partnership and fair work provides us with the opportunity to work with employers and trade unions to address workplace equality, diversity and inclusion issues, including pay gaps. We are also providing bespoke support for employers to improve employment outcomes for disabled people through our employer tool-kit and network of Disabled People’s Employment Champions. In addition, we are committed to delivering on our Strategic Equality Plan and our recent response to the report of the Disability Equality Forum.

We will review and strengthen compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), building upon work to improve the gathering and publication of employment and other equalities data. In addition, we will consider expanding the Wellbeing of Wales gender pay gap national indicator to include additional data such as the disability pay gap. We are expecting a planned update to the disability pay gap data by ONS later this year.