Millions of Europeans continue to apply for jobs without knowing the salary on offer, a practice the EU's Pay Transparency Directive aims to end. The directive, which mandates that employers disclose pay information and strengthen equal pay for equal work, was due to be implemented by member states on 7 June 2026. Yet, with the deadline approaching, most EU countries are set to miss it, leaving workers and businesses in a state of uncertainty.
The directive is a cornerstone of EU efforts to close the gender pay gap, which currently stands at 11% across the bloc, according to Eurostat. Women in the EU earn on average 11% less per hour than men. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) estimates that failure to implement the rules could cost women at least €4.8 billion annually, potentially rising to €7.2 billion—equivalent to between €465 and €700 per woman each year.
Which Countries Are Ready?
According to a tracker by international law firm Addleshaw Goddard, as of May 2026, six EU member states have taken no legislative action toward implementing the directive: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Luxembourg, and Portugal. This is an improvement from September 2025, when ten countries had yet to act. Sweden published a proposal but suspended it indefinitely in March 2026, citing administrative burdens on employers. Germany is expected to update its legislation later in 2026, while Czechia, Finland, Greece, Slovenia, and Spain are preparing draft laws.
Ten countries have published legislative drafts at various stages: Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Romania. Belgium, Malta, and Poland have partially implemented the directive. Slovakia's parliament approved the Equal Pay Act on 15 April 2026, which will enter into force on 7 June 2026.
In France, uncertainty prevails. Jérémie Paubel, Employment Partner at Addleshaw Goddard in France, told Euronews Business: "In France, it is very likely that the 7 June deadline will not be met. That creates real uncertainty, and even once the law is passed, key elements will still need to be defined by separate implementing decrees, with no clear timeline." He advised companies to proactively map job categories, audit pay systems, and monitor the legislative process.
Germany faces similar challenges. Marijke Van der Most, Employment Partner at Addleshaw Goddard in Germany, noted: "Missed implementation deadlines do not create a neat legal pause. They create an interim period in which companies may not yet have clear domestic rules, but courts, employees and works councils are already looking at the direction set by the Directive." She warned that employers may have to make pay decisions and prepare for litigation without a complete domestic rulebook.
Salary Transparency in Job Postings
Data from global hiring platform Indeed shows that salary transparency in job advertisements varies widely across Europe. As of March 2026, the United Kingdom leads with 56% of postings including salary information, though this is down from 65% in May 2025. The Netherlands (48%) and France (43%) exceed 40%, while Ireland (39%) and Italy (36%) are close behind—Italy improved significantly from 23% in May 2025. However, Spain and Germany lag, with only 17% and 12% of job postings respectively disclosing pay.
Indeed's research underscores the real-world consequences of delays. Lisa Feist, EU Labour Market Economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, stated: "Pay is the single most important factor in why people look for a new job. Yet, across Europe, it is what most job postings leave out. Workers are applying blind – and our research found the consequences of this are deeper and more varied than we thought." She added that employers who act now can strengthen trust with candidates and future-proof their hiring strategies.
The delays also have broader implications for Europe's economic integration and social cohesion. As the EU pushes forward with other policy initiatives, such as streamlined accession rules for the Western Balkans, the failure to implement pay transparency risks undermining the principle of equal pay that is central to the European social model.
For now, most European workers remain in the dark about what jobs pay, and the gender pay gap persists. The coming months will test whether member states can catch up—or whether the directive's promise will remain unfulfilled.
