The gender pay gap for full time workers in Australia is
currently 14.1%, but this number does not tell the entire
story. Women comprise approximately 47% of employees in Australia, account for
68% of primary carers for older people
and people with a disability and 95% of employees taking primary parental
leave. The result of this is a significant amount of time
spent out of the workforce or engaged in employment other than full
time work.
Part time and casual workers are disproportionately women, with
family responsibilities being a key driver. As of September
2018, the ABS reported that 46.6% of women
are employed part time, by comparison to only 18.6% of men.
Part time and casual work is notoriously precarious, meaning that
there is decreased job security by comparison to full time work. In
addition, while the national policy debate often focuses on
unemployment rates, underemployment is a serious issue for
precarious workers.
