New official data reveals Australia's gender pay gap has shown modest improvement, though working women continue to face significant financial disadvantage compared to their male counterparts.
Progress Made But Significant Gap Remains
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency reported a 0.7 percentage point decrease in the average total remuneration gender pay gap, bringing it down to 21.1 per cent over the past year. This reduction means women now earn 78.9 cents for every dollar men earn, translating to an annual difference of $28,356 in total remuneration.
WGEA chief executive Mary Wooldridge acknowledged the positive movement but emphasized the need for continued effort. "There's still a significant gap," Ms Wooldridge stated. "It just continues to show that we need ongoing vigilance and work to make sure that we do close the gap."
Concerning Trends at the Top and State Variations
The data revealed particularly worrying trends in executive positions. The gender pay gap among CEOs increased by 1.2 percentage points to 26.2 per cent this year. Female CEOs now earn nearly $83,500 less in base salary than their male counterparts annually. When including superannuation, bonuses, and additional payments, this disparity expands dramatically to $185,335.
Every state and territory recorded improvements in their gender pay gaps. However, Western Australia continues to hold the unfortunate distinction of having the widest gap at 28.8 per cent, despite improving from 29.5 per cent last year. Tasmania maintained the smallest gap at 10.6 per cent.
Ms Wooldridge attributed WA's persistent challenge to the state's industrial structure. "WA's two biggest industries are mining, and healthcare and social assistance," she explained. "One is heavily masculinised and high-paid, and the other is heavily feminised and lower-paid."
Positive Shifts in Parental Leave and Workplace Policies
The report highlighted encouraging developments in parental leave patterns. Men now account for 20 per cent of the 147,102 employees who took primary carer's parent leave in the past year, representing a 3 percentage point increase. This shift has been particularly notable in gender-balanced and male-dominated industries, with construction showing the biggest rise, followed by rental, hiring and real estate services, manufacturing, and financial and insurance services.
Stephen Martin, a father-of-two and account director in the taxation sector, shared his positive experience taking 18 weeks parental leave when his eldest daughter Georgia turned one. "Me and my daughter, we have a close bond and it helped that I was around in the early stages," Mr Martin said. He plans to take another 18 weeks leave when his wife Daryl returns to work from maternity leave with their younger daughter Isla.
Ms Wooldridge noted that the overall reduction in the pay gap has been supported by more employers implementing policies that challenge traditional gender norms regarding leadership and caring responsibilities, while also improving workplace safety measures.
