The gender pay gap of the average full-time employee fell to a record low in May, new figures show, after the publication of large employers’ respective gaps pressured bosses into doing more to address the issue.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on Thursday shows the gap in average earnings between men and women working full-time fell to 11.5 per cent in May, down from 12 per cent in November. It was the fourth consecutive six-monthly drop in the gender pay gap measure.