By Lawrence White, Reuters
LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) – Europe’s highest-paid bankers remain overwhelmingly male despite a growing pool of million-euro earners, a report from the European Banking Authority showed on Thursday.
Nearly nine out of 10 bank staff earning at least 1 million euros ($1.2 million) a year in 2024 were men, the EBA said. The imbalance was even starker at investment firms, where 97% of top earners were male.
The findings highlight the slow pace of change in gender balance across the financial sector, echoing earlier EBA warnings that progress at the top levels remained limited.
The number of high earners at banks and investment firms rose 9% to 2,554, buoyed by strong profitability from higher interest rates, robust trading in volatile markets and a rebound in dealmaking.
But the increase did little to shift entrenched disparities.
At credit institutions such as banks, men accounted for just over 89% of seven-figure earners, broadly unchanged from previous years. Investment firms showed an even wider gap, despite a sharp rise in the number of top earners.
The EBA said achieving gender balance, particularly in senior and higher-paid roles, remained a priority for regulators and firms across Europe’s financial system.—Reuters
