Female job candidates are "less aggressive" than their male counterparts when negotiating their salaries, an industry professional has said.

According to the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs (BAWE), it is almost a given that women are paid less than men and it could take a "long time" before this changes.

Tania Hine, president of the BAWE, said: "It is very often that women leave work for a while to have children and they come back and then they have to start somewhere lower down the ladder again."

ClickAJob Marketing Manager Anders Jensen said that companies will need to realise the value of women's capabilities are skills shortages take hold, which could be of note to female graduates.

"Never mind how shy they are, it's hard not to take notice of skilled and experienced mothers returning to the workplace if other applicants are few and far between," he says.

"As employers come to realise their worth, female salaries must start being more competitive."

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