A class ceiling? Research finds people from working class backgrounds in top jobs paid less than colleagues from a more privileged background

Sep 20, 2018, 01:58 PM

We all know about the glass ceiling and the gender pay gap - it's been a big story here at the BBC, of course. But what about the class ceiling? Research shows that someone from a working class background in a professional job - like law or accountancy - is typically paid £7,000 less than a colleague who's had a more privileged upbringing. The biggest pay gap is in finance where a working class professional could earn £13,700 less than someone from a well off background. The discrepancy in medicine could be more than £10,000. The research has been carried out by academics at the London School of Economics and is backed up by government studies. So if you're working class, should you settle for less? Stephen got the views of businessman Frank Shivers, journalist Brian Pelan, recruitment specialist Tina McKenzie and we took your calls.