Gender pay equity research

Gender-based occupational segregation: a data profile

The President released a Statement on 3 February 2023 (pdf) that announced a research project about occupational segregation and gender undervaluation. This research project will expand on issues raised in the former President's Statement of 4 November 2022 (pdf).

The research will be conducted in 2 stages. 

Stage 1

Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales

Stage 1 of the research project involves an evidence-based process to identify occupations and industries in which gender-based occupational segregation is prevalent, including at the classification level if possible.

Stage 1 is expected to identify:

• which modern awards cover those occupations and industries
• whether employees in those occupations and industries are predominantly award-reliant or receive above-award rates of pay because of enterprise agreements or other wage arrangements
• any common characteristics of employment in the relevant occupations and industries (including whether employment is insecure due to the prevalence of casual and/or non-ongoing employment), and
• whether employees within particular modern award classifications are more likely to receive award rates of pay than those classified at other levels within the same award.

A final report will be published in late October 2023.

Stage 2

Stage 2 will build on the findings of stage 1.