Earn
Female financial progress slowing despite rise in workforce participation
Earn
Female financial progress slowing despite rise in workforce participation
Australia’s progress towards financial equality between men and women looks to have stalled, despite more women working full-time now than ever before.
Female financial progress slowing despite rise in workforce participation
Australia’s progress towards financial equality between men and women looks to have stalled, despite more women working full-time now than ever before.

The Financy Women’s Index, a measure of the financial progress of women in Australia, said that December results buoyed what was otherwise a forgettable pace of progress for 2019.
Bianca Hartge-Hazelman, the founder of the index, said she was surprised by the December quarter results, which rose 0.9 per cent to a high of 119.9 points after a “disappointing” start to the year.
“By almost all measures, it was looking like 2019 would go down as being the worst year in a decade for women’s financial progress,” she said.
“But momentum changed during the December quarter after fresh records were broken with the number of women on ASX 200 boards, female tertiary education enrolments, full-time and part-time employment numbers, as well as the participation and underemployment rates.”

The index improved by 1.7 per cent in the 12 months to December 31 – putting it towards the lower end for rates of progress over the decade.
The Financy Women’s Index is calculated by looking at the performance of women relative to men across eight separate areas: tertiary education, employment, workforce participation, underemployment, wages, unpaid work, ASX 200 board numbers and superannuation.
Standout areas of progress, as flagged by the index, included data showing “the greatest level of engagement among Australian women in the full-time workforce”.
The female participation rate has risen to 61.2 per cent, while the number of women in full-time employment rose by 4 per cent to a seasonally adjusted 3.34 million in the quarter.
The number of women on the boards of listed companies has also seen a boost, with female directors now occupying 30.7 per cent of ASX 200 board positions.
Joanna Masters, Ernst & Young’s chief economist, has weighed in on the findings, stating that the latest figures show the world is still shouldering biases pertaining to women in the workforce.
“There is work to be done, and I’m disappointed to see the pace of progress slow on some key issues, notably the gender pay gap, which narrowed at the slowest pace in a decade last year,” she said.
About the author

About the author


Salary
The financial benefits of a diversified income stream
In today’s volatile economic environment, relying solely on a single source of income can be risky. Diversifying your income streams can provide financial stability, reduce the risk of financial ...Read more

Salary
Despite losing top spot, Elon Musk rakes in $400,000 hourly
Elon Musk, the entrepreneur known for his involvement in a wide range of innovative and technological businesses, has recently been dethroned as the wealthiest individual in the world, with Bernard ...Read more

Salary
Rising unemployment and skill shortages prompt Australian businesses to look globally for talent
Australia has witnessed its unemployment rate surging above 4% for the first time in two years, revealed by the latest Labour Force data. Read more

Salary
New findings link job mobility hurdles to stagnant wage growth
Recent research from the e61 Institute has unearthed significant links between slow wage growth in Australia and obstacles to job mobility, including non-compete clauses, complicated occupational ...Read more

Salary
Employers scrambling to prevent workplace brain drain
As workplace managers face a swiftly evolving employment market that’s increasingly favouring the demands of white-collar employees and jobseekers, bosses are falling under mounting pressure to ...Read more

Salary
Unions back Albanese’s pledge to close gender pay gap
An electoral promise from Labor to make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act has been hailed as a “watershed moment” from industry peak bodies who have traditionally advocated for ...Read more

Salary
Coles asked to disprove $115m in alleged wage theft
One of Australia’s biggest supermarkets faces allegations that it underpaid more than 7,500 employees a total of $115 million. Read more

Salary
Gen Z left behind in progress to gender equality
Women under 25 may emerge from the pandemic in a worse financial position than when it began, new research has shown. Read more

Salary
The financial benefits of a diversified income stream
In today’s volatile economic environment, relying solely on a single source of income can be risky. Diversifying your income streams can provide financial stability, reduce the risk of financial ...Read more

Salary
Despite losing top spot, Elon Musk rakes in $400,000 hourly
Elon Musk, the entrepreneur known for his involvement in a wide range of innovative and technological businesses, has recently been dethroned as the wealthiest individual in the world, with Bernard ...Read more

Salary
Rising unemployment and skill shortages prompt Australian businesses to look globally for talent
Australia has witnessed its unemployment rate surging above 4% for the first time in two years, revealed by the latest Labour Force data. Read more

Salary
New findings link job mobility hurdles to stagnant wage growth
Recent research from the e61 Institute has unearthed significant links between slow wage growth in Australia and obstacles to job mobility, including non-compete clauses, complicated occupational ...Read more

Salary
Employers scrambling to prevent workplace brain drain
As workplace managers face a swiftly evolving employment market that’s increasingly favouring the demands of white-collar employees and jobseekers, bosses are falling under mounting pressure to ...Read more

Salary
Unions back Albanese’s pledge to close gender pay gap
An electoral promise from Labor to make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act has been hailed as a “watershed moment” from industry peak bodies who have traditionally advocated for ...Read more

Salary
Coles asked to disprove $115m in alleged wage theft
One of Australia’s biggest supermarkets faces allegations that it underpaid more than 7,500 employees a total of $115 million. Read more

Salary
Gen Z left behind in progress to gender equality
Women under 25 may emerge from the pandemic in a worse financial position than when it began, new research has shown. Read more