Equal Pay Day this year will be marking the 61 additional days from the end of the previous financial year that women must work to earn the same pay as men. In 2020, the number of additional days was 59.
What Is Equal Pay Day?
Equal Pay Day marks the additional days from the end of the previous financial year that women, on average, must work to earn the same as men earnt on average that year. It is a symbolic day that helps to raise awareness of the barriers women face in accessing the same financial rewards for their work as men.
What Is Gender Pay Gap?
The Gender Pay Gap measures the difference between the average earnings of women and men in the workforce. It is calculated annually by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics labour force data. It is important to note that it is not the difference between two people being paid differently for the same or similar job, which is unlawful.
So, when we talk about the gender pay gap, we are talking about the difference between what men and women get paid, on average, across organisations, industries, and the workforce as a whole.
Every industry in Australia has a full time pay gap favouring full time working men, even in female dominated industries such as education, healthcare and social assistance.
The 2021 national gender pay equity gap has risen by 0.8% points to 14.2%. This pay gap shows the even greater disparity between men and women.
2021 KEY FACTS
- The national gender pay gap is now 14.20%.
- On average women working full time earn $1575.50 while men working full-time earn $1837: a difference in full-time average weekly earnings of $261.50.
- Current statistics show nationally only 46.4% of employers have analysed the pay data for gaps, while 54.4% of these organisations took action to close the identified gaps.
Read more IEUA Speaks on Equal Pay Day