Women’s hourly pay rates were higher than men’s last year according to official figures release by the Government this week. The gender pay gap officially closed in West Worcestershire last year with the news that the average hourly wage of female workers was £14.08 – 18 pence higher than the average hourly rate for male workers. The figures released by the Office for National Statistics show women’s wages rose above men’s in 2017 as well as now being above the Midlands and national averages. Since 2010, women’s hourly pay rate has increased from £10.54 to £14.08 in 2017 with official statistics reporting that employment rates for women remain at record high levels. Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire, commented: “This is great news for women who work hard for the security of a regular pay packet and it is heartening that local employers now reward women better than men. “I have worked tirelessly in Parliament to press for equal pay and have seen some encouraging efforts at a national level to bring women’s pay closer to men’s so I was delighted to see that in my own constituency, the gender pay gap has officially closed. “There is still much work to be done to deliver much more fairness for women in the workplace but every little victory is worth celebrating and I hope that women across West Worcestershire welcome this piece of good news.”