Gay men earns less but lesbians earn more, says World Bank study

Gay men in the UK earn less than heterosexual men and lesbians earn more than straight women, a World Bank study claims.

According to the study, lesbian employees in the UK earn eight per cent more than straight women. But gay men earn five per cent less than heterosexual men, the metro.co.uk said citing the study.

The study commissioned by the World Bank and the economic research institute IZA World of Labor shows that the average UK woman working full-time still earns around nine per cent less than her male counterpart.

The differences are starker when compared to other nations, the study reveals.

"Lesbians may realise early in life that they will not marry into a traditional household," 

"Lesbians may be willing to make a series of career-oriented decisions, such as staying in school longer, choosing a degree that is likely to lead to a higher paying job, and working longer hours," the report quoted Dr Nick Drydakis, a senior economics lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University and the author of the report as saying.

He added that gay women "tend to self-select into male-dominated occupations that may offer higher salaries".