Yahoo Finance Gender pay gap: Aussie women earning $13k less than men
For every dollar an Aussie man earns, a woman earns 87 cents, new gender pay gap data has revealed.
The gender pay gap is closing, but women are still earning thousands of dollars less than men each year.
Australia’s gender pay gap is currently at a record low of 13.3 per cent, according to new calculations by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).
On average, women working full-time were earning $1,653.60 per week, while men were earning $1,907.10. That’s a difference of $253.50 per week, or $13,182 per year.
Also read: Aussie women bracing for a modest retirement
Also read: Women face 200-year wait for income equality
Also read: Calls for major banking changes: ‘Women should not have to choose’
“The gender pay gap is a handbrake on women’s ability to make ends meet. With inflation at 7.8 per cent, and rising, everyday essentials are becoming increasingly unaffordable,” WGEA director Mary Wooldridge said.
“Women are $253.50 worse off every single week as a result of their gender.
"Over the course of one year, the weekly difference of $253.50 adds up to $13,182. That’s income that could have gone towards meeting bills, mortgage repayments or additional contributions to superannuation funds for retirement."
The findings are based on the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) earnings data released today. For all adults, the ABS found average full-time earnings were up 3.4 per cent year-on-year to $1,808 per week.
Aussies in the public sector remained higher paid on average at $1,965, compared to $1,768 for those in the private sector.
It follows yesterday’s wage growth data, which found Aussie pay packets had grown 3.3 per cent for the year to December. This means Aussie wages are still lagging behind inflation, with the official rate of inflation up 7.8 per cent.
Highest paid Aussies
Aussies in the mining industry were the highest earning on average at $2,812 per week, followed by those in information media and telecommunications at $2,271, and financial and insurance services at $2,201.
On the other end of the spectrum, Aussies working full-time in accommodation and food services earned the least at $1,294.
Meanwhile, Aussies in the ACT had the highest earnings at $2,014, followed by Western Australia at $1,988. The lowest was Tasmania at $1,586, followed by South Australia at $1,657.
Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to our free daily newsletter.
