The disability pay gap in Yorkshire and the Humber nearly doubled from 2020 to 2021, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics.
The gap widened from 6.2% in 2020 to 10.7% in 2021, as people who reported having disabilities were paid on average £1.37 less per hour.
Sheffield-based recruitment company Tribepad conducted a survey and found 22.9% of people from Sheffield thought their disability would affect their chances of getting a new job or promotion.
People whose daily activities were limited a lot by a long-term physical or mental health condition were also, on average, paid less than those who were limited slightly.
The widest pay gap was found for people who listed autism as their main impairment.
The overall disparity shrank from 12.6% in 2019 to 6.2% in 2020, but this effect has now been reversed.
Controlling for occupation reduces the size of the pay gap but does not get rid of it entirely.
This means disabled people would still be paid less for doing the same job as someone with no long-lasting health conditions.
The pay gap was also at its widest among those in senior and management positions, while it was lowest in caring, leisure and service occupations.
Trade Union Congress (TUC) General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Disabled people deserve better.
“We need mandatory disability pay gap reporting to shine a light on poor workplace practices that fuel inequality at work.
“Without this, millions of disabled workers will be consigned to years of lower pay and in-work poverty.”
