WGEA

Response to Robert Brockway, President, Australian Men’s Rights Association Inc The national gender pay gap figure calculated by the Agency is the difference between women’s and men’s average full-time base salary earning, expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings. It is a measure of women’s overall position in the paid workforce and does not compare like-for-like roles.

Well there you have it. WGEA clearly states that the often-quoted national gender pay gap does not compare like-for-like roles.

So what is the national gender pay gap in Australia according to the WGEA?

As of <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/national-gender-pay-gap-hits-record-low">February 2019</a> the WGEA is reporting the national gender pay gap as 14.1%.

A <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/national-gender-pay-gap-lowest-in-20-years">media release in August 2018</a> stated that the national gender pay gap as 14.6%, down from 15.3% in the past 12 months. That would put the national gender pay gap at 15.3% in August 2017.

Notably the WGEA also reports on the similarly named <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/topics/gender-pay-gap">gender pay gap (full-time total remuneration)</a> which is the difference between men’s and women’s total remuneration, expressed as a percentage of men’s total remuneration.

The <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/australias-latest-gender-equality-scorecard-released">Gender Equality Score Card</a> for November 2017 puts the gender pay gap (full-time total remuneration) at 22.4%.

And an <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/australias-latest-gender-equality-scorecard-released-0">equality scorecard</a> released in November 2016 claimed the gender pay gap (full-time total remuneration) is 23.1%.

The use of such similar terminology for distinct concepts is inherently confusing.

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